Dec 24, 2017
BUTCHER, Diane Christine
Diane Christine Butcher passed peacefully in her sleep in the early hours of December 24th, 2017 in her home at Abby Road in Edmonton. Diane was born July 21, 1949 and raised on the family farm west of Bentley, Alberta. During her youth, she spent a number of years in Calgary and Edmonton participating in medical research related to the progression of her physical handicap. Diane settled in Edmonton, having a fulfilling life of learning, working, teaching and assisting others. One of her proudest achievements was that of being an instructor at Grant MacEwan College for 18 years. Diane was recently recognized as the person having lived the longest with her disabling condition known as "spinal muscle atrophy type 2".
Diane once commented that the one benefit of being handicapped was that she was able to do far more travelling and see more of the world than she might have if she was not in a wheelchair.
She will be sadly missed by her close friends from Abby Road Co-op and the Edmonton area who became her second family, as well as a vast network of friends encompassing the entire globe.
Diane will also be sadly missed by her sister Donna Park (Rick), brother Garry (Cindy) of Bentley and brother Garth (Shannon) of Gull Lake. Diane also leaves to mourn 8 nephews, nieces and their spouses, along with 20 great nephews/nieces. Diane is the first of her generation of 27 "baby boomer" cousins to pass. She was predeceased by her father Ken (1974), mother Shirley Butcher (2005) and 1 nephew Michiel (2015).
There was a Celebration of Life held at Abby Road on December 28 for her Edmonton friends and on July 21st, 2018 we will complete Dianes' wishes with a Celebration of Life at Bentley (details to follow).
In lieu of flowers Diane asked that people plant something in the spring, in her words "to make the world a better place".