Diane Marie Soltis-Mathis

Diane Marie Soltis-Mathis lived a life of great adventure. She was at times: ER nurse, sailboat captain, honorary roadie, marathon runner, car wash owner, yoga enthusiast, avid tennis player, wildlife conservationist, world traveler, beachcomber and shell-a-holic, and life of the party. Most importantly, she was a loving and beautiful mother, wife, and friend. Diane is remembered by all who knew her — for it can’t be denied that she was an entirely unforgettable woman.

Diane was born in Chicago, IL to Edward and Wanda (Knapkiewicz) Soltis and raised on the South Side of the city by a family of Polish immigrants and at least one bootlegging Mobster. Diane had a life well lived, but it wasn’t until she met the love of her life, Fred Mathis, that she truly found herself. It was with that love, that gave her the best years of her life. Always surrounding themselves around the multitude of close friends, the couple never took for granted how blessed they were to have such beautiful times with those they cherished.

She was a lifelong lover of the ocean and is herself remembered as a wave — sometimes a ripple, sometimes a great tsunami, but ever-moving and changing throughout life. And like all waves that crash on the shore, Diane’s death is not an ending but a return to a different place within the water. A place where she is now reunited with two of the greatest men she knew: her brother, Larry Soltis, and husband, Fred Mathis.

In her final weeks, Diane was surrounded by many of the people who loved her best, and leaves behind a tight-knit family of people who have to figure out how to go on in a world that’s a little less fun: her sister Gayle Lindsay (Randy Deboise), daughters Jenna Stahmann and Laura Stahmann (Andrew Mawhinney), nephew Jack Lindsay, niece Hannah Lindsay, and grandchildren Grace Stewart and Oliver Mawhinney.

A celebration of life will be held sometime in the fall in New Bern.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that those who read this take every opportunity to celebrate the vibrancy and adventurous potential of life — light a candle, face fears, hug loved ones, laugh loudly, feel the sun on your face, try something new, celebrate generously, and sail every uncharted water that you can. ~Daj Mi Buzi~