In Loving Memory of Diana “Cookie” Boone Brown

July 19, 1950 – May 8, 2026

Diana Boone Brown, affectionately known since childhood as “Cookie,” and later as “Gran” and “Lady-Di,” passed away peacefully on May 8, 2026. Born on July 19, 1950, in Medina, Ohio, Diana was a spark of energy and joy to everyone who knew her.

Diana was raised in Valdosta, Georgia, where she was brought up in the Seventh Day Adventist faith, and later in Barberton, Ohio where attended Barberton City Schools and graduated Class of 1969 and later attend Hamilton Business College while raising her two children. Throughout her life, she was known for her spunky personality, her caring heart, and her absolute love for dancing. Professionally, she dedicated her time to helping others, working with the unemployment office and Goodwill Industries, and serving as a devoted volunteer for Community Action where she assisted with community block parties and easter egg hunts in Barberton in the 1980s until early 1990s.

In her later years, Diana found great joy in the simple things—playing games on her phone and staying connected through video calls with her beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a woman who cherished family above all else, having cared for her great-grandson, Mekhi Rios, with devotion until her illness. During her final days, she was cared for with deep love by her granddaughters Regina, Maritza, and Jelseia.

Diana was preceded in death by her parents, Herbert Boone Sr. and Annie Blalock; her grandparents, Dennis and Leola Boone, and Edna Moore; her sister, JoAnn Dupree; her brother, Sylvester Huitt; her uncles, Daniel Smith, Ralph, Rufus, Dennis Jr., and Walter Boone; and her dear cousin and best friend, Carol Boone.

Her legacy of love continues through her children, Patrick Boone and Danielle Olney-Diehl (Emmett); her nine grandchildren: Vanessa Askew, Parish Askew, Porchae Boone-May, Maritza Rios-Washington (Jelseia), De Anna Levingston, Regina Levingston, Mc Cayla Connors, Jacob Roberts, and Arizona Shuck; and her 14 great-grandchildren.

She also leaves behind her siblings in Ohio: Edna Johnson, Eleanor Hollis, Cherry Gore, and Joel Reed; and her siblings in Georgia: Herbert Boone Jr., Derrick Boone, Sharon Brown, Darlene Adams, Arnita Hines, and Sylvia Woods. She will be fondly remembered by her 30 nieces and nephews across Ohio and Georgia, and a host of many relatives and friends who were like family to her.

Diana lived a life that was truly “Blessed and Loved.