Diane Claire Melville

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Diane Claire Melville, at the age of 88, who resided at the Stanford Seniors Village in Parksville, BC. She passed away on June 9th, 2026 with her family by her side after a battle with dementia and a stroke. She was born Oct 21, 1937 to Amy and John Puckey in Victoria, BC. Diane is survived by her husband Robin Legarff and by her son Bruce Korn (Cathy) granddaughters Tracey (Chris, great grandchildren Alexis, Aydin and Aspen) and Jackie (Mike) and her brother John (Liz). She was predeceased by her sister Gail (Shelley and Shawn).

Diane worked for both the Federal and Provincial governments where she retired from the BC Liquor Board in 1997 after 20 years service. After she retired she pursued her lifelong interest in her art. She was a well known member of the Cobble Hill and Cowichan Valley art communities. She participated in many art exhibits and sold a variety of paintings which are still treasured by many today. Diane had prepared an artist statement of her accomplishments and in her own words this is what she had to say:

"My recent body of work is all abstract, the work is purely creative with no subject matter to drive it. This creative process is an endless search into my imagination, at times frustrating but always exciting and fulfilling.

The use of various tools, mediums, surfaces along with a myriad of ways to use paint combine to excite me into more and more exploration. Each painting can take me in a different direction and the use of discipline is essential. What works for me is the knowledge the work is balanced within and displays harmony of colour, form and texture. A series of paintings can be a study of the same form along with different colour combinations, rearrangement of shapes and texture. I have shown my art in Victoria and the Cowichan Valley. Many people own my work.

I have work hanging in Imagine That, Hilary's Cheese, the Valleyview Medical Clinic and the Mill Bay Medical Clinic.

My last show was with six other women in the beautiful home of Karen Severson and Ron Chudley.

I have shown and sold in the Cowichan Bay Art Walk. I have entered and sold in three Spring Art shows.

In the 80’s I was in two shows at the Media Gallery in Victoria."

In addition to Diane’s passion for art she loved spending time in her garden tending to her many flowers and her pond full of goldfish and koi (Benny and June). She loved to cook and entertain and it was always a pleasure to be invited for dinners where there was such a variety of delicious foods and desserts to be enjoyed by all! Diane also volunteered her time at the Cowichan District Hospital gift shop and she was passionate about supporting charitable causes like the SPCA, elephant sanctuaries and the homeless. Previously Diane was an active member at the Valley Health and Fitness in Cobble Hill where she had many friends who kept in touch with her over the years after her move to Parksville. Her friends at the gym are planning a memorial tea in her honour to share stories and celebrate their friendships together.

Diane loved her granddaughters Tracey and Jackie. We fondly remember the time she and Robin wanted to surprise them at Easter with a special easter egg hunt. They arose very early one Easter and came to our house at 5 am and created a trail of ribbons and hid easter eggs throughout the little forest in our front yard! It was a wonderful surprise for all, especially us as we had not heard Diane and Robin wandering through the forest!

She also loved her great grandchildren, Alexis, Aydin and Aspen who live in Calgary. She enjoyed having them visit when they came to BC and she looked forward to our frequent visits at Stanford when we shared photos of the great grandchildren in their daily activities.

Diane also was a member of the Shawnigan Players Club. She wrote and directed a play entitled TOTEM DANCE - a play for children. It was a play based on First Nation culture and stories along with First Nation input. Tracey, Jackie and Cathy each had roles in this 3 act play along with Robin and many children from the community and First Nations.

Bruce has many many fond memories of his mother - her art, her cooking, her gardening. He will greatly miss her…..

At Diane’s request, there will not be a formal celebration of life as she wanted a small family-only gathering with selected musical pieces and readings from the book The Rubaiyat which meant a lot to her. In her memory donations can be made to a charity of your choice or the SPCA. A very special thank you and acknowledgement goes out to the ladies at the Valley Health and Fitness for organizing a tea in her memory - your friendship meant the world to her! In addition we’d like to thank Stanford Seniors Village in Parksville - the administrative staff, nurses, care aids, and physio for their exceptional care, compassion and kindness to Diane. We’d also like to thank First Memorial Dignity Memorial for their assistance and guidance during this difficult time.

May you rest in peace Mom. All our love Bruce and family.