Dianne Joyce Connor

She will be fondly missed by many. Dianne grew up in the heart of Comox, having been born at St. Joseph’s in 1938 to Doris (nee Beard), a nurse, and Charles Robert “Tud” Tudway, a teacher. Dianne and her beloved husband Patrick happily retired back to the area in 1992 . Together, they spent many pleasant days: in their motorboat fishing and hanging out at Tree Island or growing clematis and berries in the back garden looking over to the coastal mountains. “Pat” sadly pre-deceased her in 2007.

Remembered for her warm smile, joyful laugh and quick wit, Dianne travelled extensively to Europe and across Canada. She kept close contact with her nursing friends from the 1960 VGH nursing class and had worked as a (mostly pediatric) nurse in Vancouver and Montreal. Dianne also enjoyed her walking groups and hiking friends in the Comox Valley and was thrilled to take up snowshoeing in her seventies. She was a formidable opponent or a valued partner in her various bridge groups and also had many laughs around card tables. Dianne often lunched with the infamous bunch of “Comox Grade 8s”, so named for the school bus route created by the consolidation of Comox and Courtenay High Schools in her Grade 8 year. She enjoyed opera “Live at the MET”, Irish and classical music, and possessed a keen eye for nature’s beauty in flowers, birds and coastlines. Dianne could be counted on to contribute to saving Mack Laing Nature Park and MacDonald Wood and also supported many local artists. She often took photos of gardens and amassed an extensive collection of paintings and glasswork over the course of her life throughout BC.

Dianne and Pat raised their children Kevin (Kuniko Matsuo) and Tara (Claude Gagnon) in various isolated logging camps up-island in the late 60’s and then ultimately in northern BC, settling for long periods in Takysie Lake and Kitimat, where Pat worked for Eurocan. She truly delighted in her grandchildren, especially the time spent in Comox with the latter three, Tristan Hanny (Hailey Swanson), Claire Hanny, and Kai Connor, taking them swimming at Airport Beach, fossil hunting along the Puntledge and to sailing classes on the spit in the summer. Dianne often visited them in Montreal and Quebec City and, as they grew up, travelled together with them to Europe, Hawaii, Niagara on the Lake and around Vancouver Island. As an only child, she specifically undertook for the Canadians to meet the English relatives – her lone cousin Derek, his wife Carol and their three children. She organized two trips to England, first in 2010 with Tristan, Claire and Tara, then in 2017 with Kai, Claire and Kevin. Her last memorable voyage was enjoyed with Claire, exploring Ireland to celebrate their respective 80th and 16th birthdays. More recently, Dianne was overjoyed to meet and welcome to Comox Valley her great-granddaughter Juliette Labonte, daughter of her earliest grandchild Mathilde Hanny-Guillaumes (Karl-Eric Labonte).

A celebration for family and friends will be held in the Comox Valley On May 2, 2026, details to be confirmed, and she will be placed to rest near her parents in St. Andrew’s cemetery. Beyond her close family, Dianne also leaves many friends, neighbours and the Connor, George and Sager relatives on Patrick’s side who remember her with love. Contributions in her memory can be made to MARS Wildlife Rescue.