Diana Lee Whitlow

Diana Lee Whitlow, 80, of Columbus, Ohio, and formerly Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, passed away peacefully (and into the waiting arms of her beloved husband, David) on December 1, 2024. Diana was born on March 29, 1944 in St. Louis, Missouri, to Virgil and Millie Schuetz. She grew up alongside her cherished sisters, Joyce and Ruth, in Maplewood, Missouri, enjoying snowy winters, creating secret clubhouses, and laughing with her close-knit friends, including Evelyn, Jan, and Kay. She graduated from Maplewood Richmond Heights High School in 1962 and received her B.A. in German from Simpson College in 1966, graduating with Epsilon Sigma recognition. Diana was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority.

In 1966, Diana moved to Oxford, England, where she was a schoolteacher and honed her life-long love of England. She had the opportunity to return to England in 1996 with David and her daughter, Erin, and fulfilled a dream of visiting Jersey in the Channel Islands. With David by her side, she traveled all over the world. Some of her favorites were Bar Harbor, Puerto Vallarta, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

She moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas, in the early 1970s, working behind the scenes with the founders of the Mid-America Science Museum, many of whom became lifelong friends. However, her finance and organization skills eventually led her to the Area Agency on Aging of West Central Arkansas, where she served 31 years as the Fiscal Officer, retiring in 2011. She strongly believed in creating a warm and open culture with her colleagues. She loved to play trivia with them at lunch and was often organizing fun events and trivia night community fundraisers for the team.

Many do not know that Diana was also a creative and gifted artist. Pen, photography, and graphics were some of her favorite media. She became the Area Agency’s unofficial (and pro bono!) PR manager, creating the “Seasonal Smiles” program, designing and sending colorful cards to community seniors. She was incredibly proud of this work, and her family cherishes these designs, as well as the gifts of her artistic talent they received over the years.

Diana believed strongly in lifelong education and community service. She was a founding member of the Scenic 7 Rotary Club in Arkansas, serving as President in 2010-2011 and giving presentations on various topics including “The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen during World War II”.

Most importantly, though, Diana was the most kind, loving, supportive, funny, fun, adoring wife, Mom, Grandma, sister, and friend. She enjoyed snacks and glasses of wine (“afternoon tea”), while reminiscing or talking about politics and the world with David and her friends. She fawned over her cherished pets, including Penny, Putsch, Peach, and her “fur grandchild”, Sadie Pawkins. She made favorite foods like “cheese eggs”, mashed potatoes, creole black-eyed peas, gumbo, brownies, and homemade lemonade. She loved to play games and spend time with her family. She was the best hugger in the world and always supported her children and grandchildren with sage advice and calming support. She created graphic books about each of her visits with her grandchildren, Liliana and Brendan; loved organizing “Camp Grands” for her grandson, Connor; and enjoyed a special family trip to Gulf Shores with her grandson, Austin.

In her final year of life, she was cared for lovingly by the wonderful staff at Riverside Methodist Hospital and First Community Village Healthcare Center. Her family is forever grateful.

Diana was preceded in death by the of love her life, David Frank Whitlow, as well as her father, mother, and sister (Ruth Lauer). She will be celebrated always by her children, Erin Davis Shedd (David Shedd) of Columbus, OH; Richard Scott Whitlow (Angela Whitlow) of Rogers, AR; and David Bryan Whitlow of Hot Springs, AR; her four loving grandchildren, Austin, Connor, Liliana, and Brendan; her sister Joyce Morris of St. Louis, MO; her niece and nephews; and so many friends far and wide.

The family will share hugs, memories, and joy with friends and family at two receptions in Diana’s memory: December 10 from 4-7 pm at Schoedinger Northwest, 1740 Zollinger Rd., Columbus, OH, and December 20 at Caruth-Hale Life Celebration Center, 2529 Airport Road, Hot Springs, AR from 12-2 pm. The family will have a private service and interment at Memorial Gardens in Hot Springs.

As a Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary International, Diana was an avid philanthropist, consistently giving back to her community to better the world around her. Living in her spirit of giving, memorials in her honor may be made to the Hot Springs Village Community Foundation, 100 Calella Road, Suite 304, Hot Springs Village AR  71909. (memo line: Whitlow Endowment) or online at https://www.arcf.org/give-online/ by choosing the “David and Diana Whitlow Charitable Endowment”. Other charities near to Diana’s heart are WOSU Public Media (www.wosu.org) supporting PBS, NPR, and public media in Central Ohio and Sam’s Fans (www.samsfans.org) supporting music and art therapy in Ohio Children’s hospitals.