Diane M Smith

Diane Smith, a former Speech and English teacher at North Posey High School for 44 years, died on December 28, 2019 at age 72. Diane's parents were Clarence Albert Smith and Lorene Elizabeth (Kirsch) Smith. Diane wanted to share a message from the Carol Burnett Show with those who are still here. I'm so glad we had this time together, just to have a laugh, and sing a song. Seems we just got started and before we knew it came the time we had to say, 'So long.' Every day was a good day for Diane. She and her mother both liked the following saying: "Enjoy life; this is not a dress rehearsal." First and foremost, she cherished her teaching time. A firm believer in the power of intangibles, there were some personal accomplishments that she especially cherished. She was a Reitz Commencement Speaker for the Class of '65. Later, she was elected President of the Indiana Speech Association. From there, she had the honor of being a School of Speech Fellow at Northwestern University. She spent several years coaching speech and debate and was elected to the Indiana Forensic Hall of Fame. She also was a tennis tournament player. At age 16, she was ranked Number One in the State in the 18 and under division. Later as an adult, she won large tournaments such as the Indianapolis Open. At North Posey High School, she was the first tennis coach. Diane's undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Arts in Education, was from Ball State Teachers College, which later had a name change to Ball State University. Her graduate degree, a Master of Arts, was from Northwestern University. She was preceded in death by her parents Clarence and Lorene Smith. Diane is survived by her brother Gary (wife Marlies) her nephew Christopher Smith (wife Nicole), her great niece Jasmine Smith, her great nephew Dominic Smith, her niece Tiffany Cannon (husband Charles), her great niece Heather Harper Cannon, her great nephew Dylan Cannon, her nephew Nicholas Smith (wife Violet), her great nephew Emery Smith, her great nephew Adrian Smith and her great nephew Terre Smith. Funeral services will be held 1:00 p.m. Saturday, January 11, 2020 at Alexander West Chapel officiated by Dan and Jenny DiLegge with burial to follow in Alexander Memorial Park. Friends may visit Saturday 10:00 a.m. until service time at the funeral home. Condolences may be offered at www.AlexanderWestChapel.com.