Diane Golembeski

Auburn Hills, Michigan

Mary Diane McJunkin of Auburn Hills, Michigan passed into eternal life on December 26, 2025. Born in Flint, May 24, 1930, to Earl Daniel “Mac” McJunkin and Angela Clare Hart, Diane was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Daniel Lee “Danny” McJunkin, and her beloved husband, Stanley Anthony Golembeski.

Diane recalled her early years in Flint with fondness, where her large extended family of cousins, aunts and uncles lived in a house downtown. She also spoke of visits to Manistique and Indian Lake in the Upper Peninsula, where her grandparents once lived.

A job opportunity for her father led her parents to move to Pontiac, where Diane attended Webster School, Washington Junior High, Saint Fred’s, and Pontiac High. After graduating in 1948, she studied at Michigan State College in East Lansing, earning a certificate in Secretarial Science in 1953. Her course of study included a summer program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

After college, she returned to Pontiac and was hired by General Motors Truck and Coach where she worked in the Engineering and Personnel departments from 1953 to 1961. She was fond her GM days and of the many friendships made there. She treasured her very first car: a classic pink 1957 Chevy Belair.

Faith was very important to Diane and sustained her all her life. A devout Catholic, she spent many a Sunday afternoon as a young woman visiting the Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak and the chapel at Duns Scotus College in Southfield where she found comfort in quiet prayer.

She enjoyed traveling, especially trips with friends to Honolulu and New York City. It was on one trip to NYC that she met her future husband, Stanley, who lived nearby on Pine Lake in West Bloomfield. They were soon married at Duns Scotus on July 30, 1960, and settled into their first home in Auburn Heights, where Stan planted a magnolia tree for her that still stands today.

Diane and Stan had three children, and their life was centered on family and home. Diane filled her house with books, music, and the sound of her Grinnell piano, which she had been playing since the 1940s. She volunteered in the library at Auburn Heights Elementary, with the Cub Scouts and the Campfire Girls, and devoted much of her time to the Sacred Heart Ladies’ Guild, serving once as president and organizing activities and outings.

After moving to the north side of Auburn Hills during their retirement years, Diane and Stan enjoyed neighbors, daily walks, trips to parks, and traveling to destinations around the country. They also visited England twice, toured Paris, took winter escapes to Florida, and loved going “up north” to the Grand Traverse area and Mackinaw City.

In recent years, she especially loved visits with her family, dining out, movies, crossword puzzles, her daily Wordle, keeping up with the news, and watching the birds, squirrels, and deer outside her window. Diane was an avid sports fan, closely following her favorite teams: the MSU Spartans, the Michigan Wolverines, the Detroit Lions, and Detroit Tigers. She rarely missed a Tigers game and was thrilled to spend her 95th birthday at Comerica Park.

She formed warm friendships with her caregivers and neighbors who looked in on her and helped her live independently with dignity and grace.

Diane is survived by her children, Mary Ellen (Gary) Connop, Dan Golembeski, and Janice Ann (Kevin) Benson, her grandchildren, Angela (Ken) Castello and Eric Connop, her great-granddaughter, Corinne Castello, and her sister, Ellen Baxter Rylands.

Diane will always be remembered for her beauty and elegance, her resilient spirit and love for life, and her enduring devotion to her family and friends. She will be deeply missed.

Visitation will be held at the Pixley Funeral Home - John Desmond Chapel, 3530 Auburn Rd., Auburn Hills, Michigan, 48326 on Sunday, January 4, 2:00–5:00 pm, with a prayer service 4:00–4:30 pm. A funeral Mass will take place at Sacred Heart Church, 3400 S. Adams Rd., Auburn Hills, at 11:00 am on Monday, January 5, with time for reflection and visitation from 10:00–11:00 am in the church gathering space. Burial will be at 12:00 pm the following day, Tuesday, January 6 (Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, Southfield).

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial contributions to Catholic Relief Services https://www.crs.org.

Thank you for keeping Diane’s family in your thoughts and prayers.