Dianna Buck Conaty

Dianna was born in Clearfield, PA on September 10, 1946, daughter of Frank Clair Buck II and Margery Weaver Buck.

Until the age of four, Dianna lived in Clearfield with her parents. In 1950, her father died and she and her mother moved to Arlington, VA to live with her grandmother, Lulu Weaver.

Dianna graduated from Yorktown High School in Arlington, VA where she enjoyed her many lifelong friends. Dianna graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BA in Education. She met the light of her life, Tom Conaty, at South Carolina.

Married to Second Lieutenant Thomas Conaty (USMC) at Marine Corps Chapel, Quantico, VA on September 13, 1969, they set off on a life of adventure and promise.

Dianna retired from Fairfax County, VA public schools and was a lifelong educator and mentor to hundreds.

In adulthood, Dianna and her family moved to Northern Virginia and lived in Arlington, Falls Church, Burke, Fairfax Station and Alexandria. A highlight was living in Wiesbaden, Germany from 1989 to 1992. Recently, Tom, Dianna and Cliff moved from Southport, NC to Cary, NC.

Dianna was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Frank Clair Buck III, step-father Herman M. Lowdenslager and step-sister, Judy Lowdenslager. She leaves her loving husband of 52 years, Thomas Hughes Conaty, and her three wonderful sons, Clifford, Chad and Daniel Conaty, all living in North Carolina. She also leaves her adorable grandchildren, Drew and Finn Conaty and Cecilia May Watkin-Conaty.

Her beloved daughters-in-law, Ashley Conaty and Elizabeth Watkin, were an integral part of our family and she loved them dearly. Her two cherished sisters-in-law, Anne Grzasko and Claire Stern live in Northern Virginia. Dianna loved her nieces, Jennifer Brant, Alex Hill, Laura, Sara and Emma Stern and nephew Joseph Stern.

Dianna enjoyed travel, family get-togethers, hosting fabulous parties and cherishing her many friends. For 56 years, she loved her beloved sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA) and its sisters. Dianna was proud to have served on the National Counsel of ZTA.

Visitation will be held at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home, 9902 Braddock Road, Fairfax, VA on Sunday, September 12th from 2:00PM to 5:00PM. A Celebration of Life will be at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home on Monday, September 13th at 10:00 AM with internment following at Fairfax Memorial Park, 9900 Braddock Road, Fairfax, VA.

To view Dianna’s obituary, please go to the Brown-Wynne funeral home website at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/cary-nc/dianna-conaty-10328569 or Fairfax Memorial funeral home at www.fairfaxmemorialfuneralhome.com. Unless changed by the Governor’s office, face masks are mandatory for everyone over the age of five.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation online at https://zetataualpha.org.