Diane Russell (22 Feb 1949 - 23 Sep 2018)

In loving memory of Diane Russell who sadly passed away on 23rd September 2018

Diane was born in Sheffield South Yorkshire on the 22nd February 1949. She was born of a single parent who's father had split from the family prior to her birth. Diane's mother and her two older brothers and sister moved to Ashop Farm that was situated along side the Lady Bower Reservoir in the Peak District of Derbyshire to live with Diane's grandparents. Growing up Diane went to the village school in the local village of Bamford where she stayed until after passing her Eleven Plus went to The Lady Manors High School in Bakewell which was a two hour journey away.

On leaving school Diane was given the opportunity to go to art collage but due to family circumstances had to turn it down and went into employment at Bamford Cotton Mill where she stayed for a number of years until getting married on the 18th March 1967 when she went to live in Sheffield with her husband Paul. Diane had four sons Leon, Paul Jnr. Russ and Audie whom throughout her life she was extremely proud.

In 1973 Diane became joint owner of a Scissor and Tool Manufacturing business along with Paul where she would take the young children to help out when not at school. On the closure of the business she became the Manger of a video library for a number of years until taking ownership of it when it came up for sale. On the decline of videos the shop was closed a couple of years later. An opportunity came up for the position of a mandatory Restart Tutor encouraging long term unemployed adults back into employment and the setting up on behalf of the Employment Service a very successful work sampling program, again for the unemployed. Diane was made redundant from this position around 1991 when she then went into a similar position with a Sheffield based organisation called Strategic Consultants. Unfortunately not long after Diane suffered a Detached Retina in her right eye that seriously affected her eyesight resulting in a number of operations. Being unable to drive now Diane had to leave her employment and became unemployed for a while. Now finding it difficult to drive due to her eyesight Diane started to explore what sort of employment would be suitable for her, and decided that having brought up four children successfully that this may be any area that she would be good at, consequentially she became a Nanny. Having worked for a couple of family's Diane went to work for Ruth and Jeremy Groves who at that time had only one child. Diane stayed with Ruth and Jeremy for 14 years when by that time they had four wonderful children who she loved immensely.

In 2009 Diane took up the challenge of writing a book to recognise the fundraising activities of the then Bishop of Hallam John Rawsthorne. She spent many hours researching on the computer and by visting all the areas around Derbyshire that the Bishop had walked over the years, and an equally amount of time with her son Leon editing material and discussing how the book should look. The book was launched at a Staff and Volunteer dinner with over 200 people in attendance in 2010 exactly one year from when she undertook the challenge. The book "The First Ten Years Of The Bishops Walks" was locally successful and raised well over £1000 for St. Wilfrid's Day Centre for vulnerable people in Sheffield.

Diane retired at the age of 62.

On her husbands retirement in 2012 Diane and Paul moved into their 300 year old cottage in Mablethorpe Lincolnshire were she spent most of her leisure time in the garden painting flowers on garden planters that she sold to passer byes over the garden fence, accumulating many new friends from far and wide along the way.

Diane became a Mablethorpe and Sutton on Sea Town Councillor in 2015 becoming involved in Planning and other activities, a position she held until she was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2016 when she decided to stand down.