Diane V. Ramp

Diane Ramp died at home with her family on December 1, 2024. She is survived by her daughter Stefanie (Wael), son Jerremy (Christy), and grandchildren (Leo, Augusta, and William), as well as her beloved sisters Barbara and Jean, brother-in-law Fredrick, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her sister Joan, her brothers-in-law (Ed, Don, and Lance) and her husband of 50 years, Jerry. Born and raised in the Bronx, Diane earned her nursing degree from NYU-Bellevue in 1965. In the mid-to-late ’60s, Diane was instrumental in establishing the first neonatal intensive care unit at Bellevue Hospital and was a pioneer in saving the lives of prematurely born babies.

During that time, she met a young surgical resident from Indiana. They married in 1972 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, moving from New York to Baltimore to Boston and landing in Indianapolis in 1977. Here, she worked for Riley Children’s Hospital and provided homecare for terminally ill children. She later worked for a trailblazing adolescent gynecologist. Diane and Jerry worked together for decades in “his” surgical practice, but we all know he worked for her. She ended her nursing career providing hospice care at St. Vincent’s. Her career, which began with preemies and ended with hospice, tracked the cycle of our lives, and she provided highly competent and compassionate care to each of her patients.

Initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997, Diane fought a 30-year battle with the disease bravely, with grace, strength, and humor, and it never defeated this remarkable lady’s spirit. She ultimately died from metastatic disease at home, with her daughter and son by her side.

She lived her life in service to her patients, her family, and her friends. She sang, danced, and laughed her way through life, sharing joy, warmth, and love with all around her. She will be deeply missed by her children, grandchildren, and the enormous number of friends who loved her dearly.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital would be greatly appreciated.

A visitation for Diane will be held Tuesday, December 10, 2024 from 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM at Leppert Mortuaries – Nora Chapel. A Mass of Christian Burial will be on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at 11:00 AM at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 7200 Sarto Drive, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Online condolences for Diane are available at www.leppertmortuary.com