Diana Lynn Reid

After a long struggle with Multiple Sclerosis, Diana Lynn Randolph Reid passed away on August 27. Diana’s life journey began and ended at JFK Hospital, Atlantis, Florida. Her father, Dr. John Randolph, was on staff at JFK Hospital when Diana was born on December 29, 1967. After her birth at JFK, Diana traveled a few blocks to her home on North Country Club Drive in Atlantis where she resided for the next 12 years hanging out with her friends, Oona Khan and Becky Reuben; enjoying festive Atlantis Halloweens and Christmas season bonfires; attending ’72 Dolphins perfect season games; drinking Shirley Temples prepared by Eddie the bartender at the La Coquille Club; attending Our Savior Lutheran School (and riding in its “little yellow” bus); playing with her puppies Bingo and Buffy; and attempting to control her older siblings’ toilet papering neighbors’ homes. Diana’s happy years in Atlantis ended shortly after her father died too soon in 1977. Like Diana, her father was 52 when he died.

A few years later Diana moved with her family to Old Port Cove (North Palm Beach) when her mother, Valerie Randolph Barto, married Roy H. Barto. She was likely one of the youngest Old Port Cove residents by roughly 3 decades! During these years she enjoyed Roy’s gourmet dinners and crazy parties, dining with her mother and Roy at the Old Port Cove Yacht Club and summering in Beech Mountain, NC. While living in Old Port Cove, she was an acolyte at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, attended Rosarian Academy and Palm Beach Gardens High School where she was an officer in student government and a cross country team member. After high school, she gave birth to her son, Wendell Stephen Hannon.

On February 3, 1998, she met and married her beloved husband, William F. Reid, Jr. William (aka “Billy”) was the center of Diana’s universe and vice versa. At 31 years of age Diana was diagnosed with MS. She spent the last 8 years of her life in a nursing home. William honored his marital vows. William spent countless days visiting Diana at the nursing home. Together they enjoyed feeding the nursing homes’ resident squirrels and birds; Squirrels, Squeaky, Luther and Chip; Bluebirds, Blue, Chirp and Momma Bird and Red Belly Woodpecker, Woody F. Woodrena .

She loved deeply all of her family members. She never complained about her condition. Instead, she was more concerned with the wellbeing of her mother, son, siblings and her many nieces and nephews. Diana was adamant that she had a blessed life, surrounded by the love of her husband and family.

She was a real beauty with her blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes, which she inherited from her great grandmother, Anna Hallenbeck.

She is now in peace and free of pain in heaven with her father Dr. John Randolph, her stepfather Roy Barto, grandmother Mildred “Sunny Girl” Montanez, great-grandfather and great-grandmother John and Anna Hallenbeck, her Aunt Mary and Uncle Gil Hallenbeck, her niece Jessica Lee Barto and nephew Dalton Dwyer.

She is survived by her husband William F. Reid, Jr., mother Valerie Barto, son Wendell Stephen Hannon, siblings Laurel Randolph Howanitz, Melony Randolph Newton and Randy Randolph, brothers-in-law Jack Howanitz and Timothy Newton, Sr., sister-in-law Kathy Randolph, nieces and nephews John Gagnon, Christina Newton Schaengold, Jace Howanitz Lundstrom, Colin Newton, Jordan Howanitz, Timothy Newton, Jr., James Howanitz, Rachel Randolph, Will Randolph, Cade Randolph, Steve Barto, Jr. and Christina Register, step-brothers and step-sister Steve Barto, Sr., Doug Barto and Karin Barto Gray, and second cousin Gilman Hallenbeck, Jr. (and his wife, Mary).

A family service will be held for Diana. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to organizations researching a cure for Multiple Sclerosis.