Diane was born to Helen and Paul Bittner on September 20, 1940.
She grew up in a small town on the eastern end of Long Island, New York. She met Terry, her future husband, in 5th grade. They dated in high school, and she attended college at Alfred State Tech, where she received a medical secretary degree. Diane and Terry were married in March of 1962 and had 3 children. They settled in Marietta, Georgia in 1989 after many career related moves.
Diane’s heart was full of love, for her family, her kitchen, her crafts, and every dog in need. She stitched warmth into every moment. Diane embodied the spirit of community by volunteering for many hours as room mom, 4H (sewing and cooking), teaching Sunday school and a nursery caregiver. As well as various church groups such as Fellowship Group, Pearls Bible Study, Spunky Spirits and the craft circle. Her true passion and where she logged countless hours was fostering and caring for rescue dogs.
In addition to her parents, Diane is preceded in death by her son, Gregg Downs.
Diane is survived by her husband of 63 years, L. Terry Downs; her daughters, Jill (Downs) Marr, and Wendy (Downs) Luchtan; six grandchildren, Meghan (Marr) Gregory, Kaitlyn (Marr) Gowdy, Daniel Marr, John (JT) Marr, Madeline Luchtan, and Meredith Luchtan; five great grandchildren, MaryKate Gregory, Caroline Gregory, Kayson Gowdy, Keller Anne Marr, and Kholee Gowdy.
A Celebration of Life and Witness to the Resurrection will be Saturday, September 6, 2025, at 2:00 pm at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 3125 Sewell Mill Road, Marietta, Georgia, 30062. A reception will immediately follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations to honor Diane be made to Cobb County Animal Services, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Alzheimer’s Disease Research or Eastminster Church "Fellowship Group".
