Diane Marie (Vonachen) Pietro

Diane Marie (Vonachen) Pietro, passed away peacefully 2 hours after the conclusion of her 72^nd birthday in Omaha, Nebraska surrounded by her husband and 3 sons.

She was born on April 15, 1952 in Peoria, Illinois, the 3^rd of 7 children to Patricia (Pat) (Deceased) and Donald (Bud) Vonachen (Deceased). Her siblings include Jim (Spouse: Jeanne), Richard (Dick) (Spouse: Connie), Mary Jo (Spouse: Mike), Julie, Donna (Deceased) (Spouse: Frank), and Karen (Spouse: Dave). As a child she quickly became knows for her bright eyes and beautiful red hair with ringlet curls earning her the nickname “Red” or “Redly” – names which she held for her entire life.

The Vonachen’s were/are a strong and close family, rooted in their Catholic faith and charity. Many Peoria organizations benefitted from this generosity including: St. Augustine, Sofia’s Kitchen, and Porch Pantry.

Diane attended St. Bernards for grades 1-7, St. Philomena’s for 8^th grade and Academy of Our Lady for high school. After high school, she attended Creighton University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Speech Pathology – her occupation post graduation.

While at Creighton, Diane met her husband James “Bimbo” Pietro. They were married and have 3 children: Vince (Spouse: Megan, Children: Jacob, Max, Tessa, Mia), Mike (Spouse: Kristy, Children: Violet, Vinny, and Joe (Child: Bo).

After giving birth to Mike, Diane was called to her true vocation: the matriarch of the Pietro family. In this role, she fully immersed herself in the lives of her boys. She raised Vince, Mike, and Joe to be respectful and well-rounded with Catholic, faith-based values. Diane never missed a game, school programs and activities, all the while encouraging her boys to always be more for themselves, do more for others, and try new things.

Diane led from the front. This included being heavily involved in each of the boys’ schools including: Circle 1 at St. Margaret Mary, Prep Moms at Creighton Prep, BASH at Creighton Prep, Jaybacker Jamboree at Creighton University, and countless others. She was a servant leader in each of these organizations – becoming known as a champion of those less fortunate, neglected, or overlooked.

Beginning in 1979, Diane first experienced symptoms of what would eventually become a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. She courageously battled this terrible disease for the remaining 44 years of her life. For many of these years MS did not slow her down. Even while her body tried to quit on her, Diane never lost sight of who she was serving – her family and community.

Diane will be remembered as a devoted wife, proud mother, loving sister, loyal friend, selfless giver, and a light in this world.

In lieu of flowers, please thoughtfully consider a donation to the National MS Society – Nebraska Chapter or the Down Syndrome Society of the Midlands

https://heartstreaming.link/diane-pietro