Diane Dorothy Williams, 89, of Ithaca NY, passed peacefully on Monday, November 2, 2020 at The Commons on Saint Anthony in Auburn N.Y.
Born July 13, 1931 in Mineola, N.Y. to Emil and Dorothy Comerma, Diane would later meet and marry Herbert Charnley. The two had five sons.
After moving with her young family to Tompkins County, Diane began a long and varied career at Cornell University, managing departments as diverse as South Asian Studies and Russian Literature, engaging with the different cultures across campus. She built on her interactions with Ithaca's international community by traveling to Europe many times.
While at the university, a lifelong love of art drove her to attain a degree in art history, often working well into the night to do so, long after her duties as mother and employee were over. These lived examples gave a love for the wider world to her sons.
Her cooking skills were well known, and a love of good food was apparent in the many cuisines she embraced. Diane taught classes in South Asian, Russian, Spanish and French cooking at Tompkins Cortland Community College while running a successful catering business. She cherished later trips to New Orleans with her second husband, Arthur Williams, and the region's food became a favorite.
Some would think this a full life, but Diane enjoyed her greatest happiness after retirement by establishing Bullfrog Pond Bed and Breakfast in Newfield N.Y. She entertained and was entertained by the many guests who stayed with her; over time, her guest book filled with rave reviews of gourmet breakfasts and promises of return visits. These were times remembered affectionately in her later days.
Diane spent the last few years of her life facing the challenges of Alzheimer's with a determination true to her nature. When the time came to give up cherished civic duties as juror and poll worker, she did so with the reluctant understanding of the disease's ability to cloud her judgement. Despite this, her humor survived intact. She was a lover of family and a good mother. Diane leaves a space not easily filled and will be missed.
Diane was predeceased by her fourth son Scott, her parents, sister Janet, grandson Eric and husbands Herbert and Arthur.
Surviving her are sons Theodore (Barbara), Richard (Alisa), James (Kelly), Andrew (Golnaz); cousin Linda; step-children Marvin and Denise; grandchildren Rachael, Rebecca, Edward, Artem, Scott, Benjamin, Andrew Jr.; great-grandchildren Eric Jr., Destiny, Dakota, Kimberly, Daleigh and great, great-grandson Nicholas.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the care shown our mother by staff at the Commons at Saint Anthony. Their kindness, empathy, and friendship helped ease her passing. Memorial services will be private.
An obituary was published in The Ithaca Journal from Nov. 17 to Nov. 18, 2020.
Born July 13, 1931 in Mineola, N.Y. to Emil and Dorothy Comerma, Diane would later meet and marry Herbert Charnley. The two had five sons.
After moving with her young family to Tompkins County, Diane began a long and varied career at Cornell University, managing departments as diverse as South Asian Studies and Russian Literature, engaging with the different cultures across campus. She built on her interactions with Ithaca's international community by traveling to Europe many times.
While at the university, a lifelong love of art drove her to attain a degree in art history, often working well into the night to do so, long after her duties as mother and employee were over. These lived examples gave a love for the wider world to her sons.
Her cooking skills were well known, and a love of good food was apparent in the many cuisines she embraced. Diane taught classes in South Asian, Russian, Spanish and French cooking at Tompkins Cortland Community College while running a successful catering business. She cherished later trips to New Orleans with her second husband, Arthur Williams, and the region's food became a favorite.
Some would think this a full life, but Diane enjoyed her greatest happiness after retirement by establishing Bullfrog Pond Bed and Breakfast in Newfield N.Y. She entertained and was entertained by the many guests who stayed with her; over time, her guest book filled with rave reviews of gourmet breakfasts and promises of return visits. These were times remembered affectionately in her later days.
Diane spent the last few years of her life facing the challenges of Alzheimer's with a determination true to her nature. When the time came to give up cherished civic duties as juror and poll worker, she did so with the reluctant understanding of the disease's ability to cloud her judgement. Despite this, her humor survived intact. She was a lover of family and a good mother. Diane leaves a space not easily filled and will be missed.
Diane was predeceased by her fourth son Scott, her parents, sister Janet, grandson Eric and husbands Herbert and Arthur.
Surviving her are sons Theodore (Barbara), Richard (Alisa), James (Kelly), Andrew (Golnaz); cousin Linda; step-children Marvin and Denise; grandchildren Rachael, Rebecca, Edward, Artem, Scott, Benjamin, Andrew Jr.; great-grandchildren Eric Jr., Destiny, Dakota, Kimberly, Daleigh and great, great-grandson Nicholas.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the care shown our mother by staff at the Commons at Saint Anthony. Their kindness, empathy, and friendship helped ease her passing. Memorial services will be private.
An obituary was published in The Ithaca Journal from Nov. 17 to Nov. 18, 2020.
Diane Dorothy Williams, 89, of Ithaca NY, passed peacefully on Monday, November 2, 2020 at The Commons on Saint Anthony in Auburn N.Y.
Born July 13, 1931 in Mineola, N.Y. to Emil and Dorothy Comerma, Diane would later meet and marry Herbert Charnley. The two had five sons.
After moving with her young family to Tompkins County, Diane began a long and varied career at Cornell University, managing departments as diverse as South Asian Studies and Russian Literature, engaging with the different cultures across campus. She built on her interactions with Ithaca's international community by traveling to Europe many times.
While at the university, a lifelong love of art drove her to attain a degree in art history, often working well into the night to do so, long after her duties as mother and employee were over. These lived examples gave a love for the wider world to her sons.
Her cooking skills were well known, and a love of good food was apparent in the many cuisines she embraced. Diane taught classes in South Asian, Russian, Spanish and French cooking at Tompkins Cortland Community College while running a successful catering business. She cherished later trips to New Orleans with her second husband, Arthur Williams, and the region's food became a favorite.
Some would think this a full life, but Diane enjoyed her greatest happiness after retirement by establishing Bullfrog Pond Bed and Breakfast in Newfield N.Y. She entertained and was entertained by the many guests who stayed with her; over time, her guest book filled with rave reviews of gourmet breakfasts and promises of return visits. These were times remembered affectionately in her later days.
Diane spent the last few years of her life facing the challenges of Alzheimer's with a determination true to her nature. When the time came to give up cherished civic duties as juror and poll worker, she did so with the reluctant understanding of the disease's ability to cloud her judgement. Despite this, her humor survived intact. She was a lover of family and a good mother. Diane leaves a space not easily filled and will be missed.
Diane was predeceased by her fourth son Scott, her parents, sister Janet, grandson Eric and husbands Herbert and Arthur.
Surviving her are sons Theodore (Barbara), Richard (Alisa), James (Kelly), Andrew (Golnaz); cousin Linda; step-children Marvin and Denise; grandchildren Rachael, Rebecca, Edward, Artem, Scott, Benjamin, Andrew Jr.; great-grandchildren Eric Jr., Destiny, Dakota, Kimberly, Daleigh and great, great-grandson Nicholas.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the care shown our mother by staff at the Commons at Saint Anthony. Their kindness, empathy, and friendship helped ease her passing. Memorial services will be private.
An obituary was published in The Ithaca Journal from Nov. 17 to Nov. 18, 2020.
Born July 13, 1931 in Mineola, N.Y. to Emil and Dorothy Comerma, Diane would later meet and marry Herbert Charnley. The two had five sons.
After moving with her young family to Tompkins County, Diane began a long and varied career at Cornell University, managing departments as diverse as South Asian Studies and Russian Literature, engaging with the different cultures across campus. She built on her interactions with Ithaca's international community by traveling to Europe many times.
While at the university, a lifelong love of art drove her to attain a degree in art history, often working well into the night to do so, long after her duties as mother and employee were over. These lived examples gave a love for the wider world to her sons.
Her cooking skills were well known, and a love of good food was apparent in the many cuisines she embraced. Diane taught classes in South Asian, Russian, Spanish and French cooking at Tompkins Cortland Community College while running a successful catering business. She cherished later trips to New Orleans with her second husband, Arthur Williams, and the region's food became a favorite.
Some would think this a full life, but Diane enjoyed her greatest happiness after retirement by establishing Bullfrog Pond Bed and Breakfast in Newfield N.Y. She entertained and was entertained by the many guests who stayed with her; over time, her guest book filled with rave reviews of gourmet breakfasts and promises of return visits. These were times remembered affectionately in her later days.
Diane spent the last few years of her life facing the challenges of Alzheimer's with a determination true to her nature. When the time came to give up cherished civic duties as juror and poll worker, she did so with the reluctant understanding of the disease's ability to cloud her judgement. Despite this, her humor survived intact. She was a lover of family and a good mother. Diane leaves a space not easily filled and will be missed.
Diane was predeceased by her fourth son Scott, her parents, sister Janet, grandson Eric and husbands Herbert and Arthur.
Surviving her are sons Theodore (Barbara), Richard (Alisa), James (Kelly), Andrew (Golnaz); cousin Linda; step-children Marvin and Denise; grandchildren Rachael, Rebecca, Edward, Artem, Scott, Benjamin, Andrew Jr.; great-grandchildren Eric Jr., Destiny, Dakota, Kimberly, Daleigh and great, great-grandson Nicholas.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the care shown our mother by staff at the Commons at Saint Anthony. Their kindness, empathy, and friendship helped ease her passing. Memorial services will be private.
An obituary was published in The Ithaca Journal from Nov. 17 to Nov. 18, 2020.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
See more Williams or Comerma (Charnley) memorials in:
- Find a Grave Williams or Comerma (Charnley)
Advertisement
