Diane "Lady Di" McComiskey

Survived by her beloved husband of 58 years Howard McComiskey, her children John (Merrilyn) McComiskey, Jeanine (Mitchell) Meisler, and Alison (Thomas) Burke. She is also survived by her grandchildren Amanda, Dillon(Karla), Douglas, Alexander, Daniel, Genevieve, Thomas and James. Also survived by her sister’s Rosemary (Joe) Cafiero and Jean (John) Pennacchio. Predeceased by her parents, Anna and Alexander Burban, her sister Celeste Pannone and grandson Evan Meisler. She was beloved by all her extended family and friends.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said;

People will forget what you did;

But people will never forget how you made them feel”.

~Maya Angelou

Lady Di always made people feel deeply loved and special.

Diane (Burban) McComiskey, daughter of Anna and Alexander Burban, and sister to

Celeste, Jean, and Rosemary, was born on January 22nd, 1945. Diane attended

Visitation, where she met her future husband and many of her lifelong friends. She

married her true love and lifelong soulmate Howard McComiskey at the age of 18 in the

Visitation Church in Red Hook, Brooklyn in November 1963, only days before the

assignation of President Kennedy. They first caught each other’s eye at his 13th

birthday party, where she won the hot dog eating contest. From then on they rode the bus

to their schools each morning, whether they played hooky or not. Within a year into their

marriage she gave birth to twins, John and Jeanine. She started her own beauty shop,

which she named J & J, after her twins. Eventually she sold her business to buy a home

on Staten Island on Middle Loop Road, where she lived until she passed. Eleven years

later she gave birth to her third child Alison, who she taught to garden plants like her

favorite flowers, hydrangeas. Her house was always clean and organized, OCD style. She

had a passion for interior design, constantly switching out pieces of furniture and

knocking down walls herself to keep things fresh. Each year her Christmas tree had a

theme that would never be repeated. Her most recent tree featured only Lenox ornaments.

She loved going to the theatre and collecting playbills with her sisters, children, nieces,

nephews, and grandchildren. She loved vacationing with her family, especially to the

beach or taking romantic cruises with Howie. She loved traveling through Europe and

retiring to her vacation house in the Villages. Diane also painted and sketched and passed

that talent on to her children and grandchildren. For many years she was a stay at home

mom, until she returned to work part time at a local beauty parlor. Her love of hair

design led her to become a cosmetology teacher at Hair Design Institute. She was beloved

by her students and coworkers. Diane's faith was strong and she believed in charity. She

frequently prayed the rosary for any soul in need. She instilled the importance of her

Catholic faith in her grandchildren, whom she brought to mass each Sunday. She was an

active member of Saint Clare's parish. One of her favorite programs was aiding and

supporting young mothers and their babies. Her spiritual good works included

volunteering at project hospitality and the Seton foundation, as well as instructing CCD

to the communion classes at Immaculate Conception. Her doors were always open to

struggling friends and family in need, as was her Thanksgiving table, which always had a

seat open for those who needed it. She was a woman of great strength and courage, and

her faith guided her through every challenge she encountered. She was a survivor of

breast cancer, colon cancer, and uterine cancer. The love that Howie and Diane shared

was a guiding example in the lives of those around them. It is a love so deep it is hard to

picture one without the other. In her final moments, she was surrounded by the love of

her beloved husband, three children, grandson, and her god-daughter, as she passed on.

She is greatly missed, and her lessons of life, family, and love will always be remembered

by all who were touched by her spirit.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation in her honor to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.