Diana Flegg

FLEGG, Diana, of Fenton, MI, age 94, passed away Tuesday, April 28, at one of the Posey's Senior Care Homes in Fenton, Michigan. Cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be held at a later date.

Diana was born in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, on July 10, 1931, daughter of the late Alonzo and Tinay (Lowe) Tucker. She was the middle child of three siblings.

Diana is survived by her three loving children, Janet Eaton (Sean), Steven Flegg (Linda), and Mark Flegg (Betsy); two grandchildren, Laura Eaton and Brian Eaton (Sarah); and one great-grandchild, Luna (Amelia) Eaton. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Flegg; her brother Leslie and sister Sally, and her parents.

Diana was born and raised in Lowestoft, a town on the east coast of England. Her father did house painting, and her mother made and mended fishing nets at home. World War II was a big part of her childhood. It was dangerous living on the coast, where the German planes flew over on their way to London, so she was evacuated and sent to live with a couple elsewhere in England until it was safer to return home.

When Diana graduated from grammar school, she won a scholarship to a secretarial school, where she learned shorthand, bookkeeping, typing, and more—skills she later used in managing her own household.

Diana met Jack at age 19 at a Lowestoft youth club, and they married on July 26, 1952. She worked as a secretary until she had her first child in 1956. A second child was born in 1959.

In 1963, the family moved to the Detroit area of Michigan, where there was more opportunity for Jack to work in the auto industry. They lived in St. Clair Shores for several years, where Diana and Jack created a large and beautiful backyard flower garden, took road trips to explore their new state and country, and had a third child.

Diana loved reading, especially mysteries, and ensured that the whole family visited the library often. She enjoyed needlecrafts, especially knitting and crocheting, as well as listening to classical music.

After a return to England for several months in 1969, the family settled in Fraser. Diana and Jack continued their interests in flower gardening and travel, and Diana learned to make wine.

After Jack retired, he and Diana moved to Kendallville, Indiana, which they grew to love. They had a large house on five acres of land where they grew flowers and watched deer and other wildlife. They had several bird feeders and enjoyed tracking which bird species they saw.

Diana continued to enjoy reading and needlecrafts. She did lots of crossword puzzles and always filled them in in ink; she hardly ever made mistakes. She put together many large jigsaw puzzles. Diana and Jack liked to watch British shows on PBS that reminded them of their early life in England.

They traveled the world, going on guided tours to China, Egypt, India, Morocco, England, Ireland, Scotland, and other countries. They traveled to every state in the United States. They joined the local senior center, participating in social activities and lots of volunteering. Diana enjoyed volunteering at the information desk at a local hospital.

In 2017, Diana and Jack moved back to Michigan to be closer to their children and settled in Davison. After her husband's death in 2020, Diana, suffering cognitive and physical decline, moved to a senior care home in the Fenton area.

Diana's family was very important to her. She wrote many letters to family members in England and to her children and enjoyed visiting whenever she could. She kept English traditions—such as pulling Christmas crackers—alive for her family. She was almost never without a cup of tea. Numerous family errands had to be delayed so she could finish her tea. Her children will think of her often as they drink tea the way she taught them—strong, hot, black tea with milk and sugar.