Diane Elfrieda (née Liebmann) Benecke of Crossville, Tennessee finished her race and passed away peacefully at home in the arms of her husband and was handed off into Jesus’ arms on Thursday, October 17, 2024, at age 68. She was surrounded by love from their son, daughter, grandchildren, and a close friend and longtime caregiver after a twelve-year battle against Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease.
Diane was born on August 30, 1956, in Fort Wayne, Indiana to parents Carl M. and Joan (née Stoppenhagen) Liebmann, Sr. She was baptized into God’s family at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne where she also graduated grade school and was confirmed. In 1974, she graduated from Concordia Lutheran High School in Fort Wayne where she fell in love with her future husband and classmate, Timothy Benecke. She went on to graduate from Ravenscroft Beauty College, Fort Wayne and married the love of her life Tim in 1975.
She was the loving mother to son Craig, and daughter Christina, and a doting grandmother of five grandchildren. Diane was extremely versatile in her professional career where she worked in many different roles as she supported her husband’s career advancement as they moved around the country. She worked 14 years at Lutheran Home, Fort Wayne as a nurses’ aide, certified medical aide, and pharmacy technician. She had a home day care in Lexington, Ky. for three years. She worked in the cafeteria at Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Ill. for several years before turning to her trained profession, as a receptionist and hair stylist, at Super Cuts in Bolingbrook, Ill. She then worked four years as a cashier and customer service manager at Jitney Jungle grocery store in Brandon, Miss. Then when they moved to Naperville, Ill., she went back to Super Cuts and became the manager of their salon in Bartlett, Ill. She then went to work closer to home as a stylist at Great Clips in Naperville and finished her working career in the Health and Beauty department at Meijer in Bolingbrook.
During her lifetime, she enjoyed travel, camping, knitting, cross-stitch, running, and was a voracious reader. She is survived by her husband of 49 years, Tim Benecke of Crossville, Tenn.; son, Craig (Rachel) Benecke of Naperville, Ill.; daughter, Christina (Craig) Eggert of Aurora, Ill.; grandchildren Hannah Benecke and Katelyn Benecke of Naperville, Skylar Eggert and Maverick Eggert of Aurora, and step-grandson Cole Eggert of Plainfield, Ill., siblings, Linda Hamrick of Irons, Mich., Carl M. Liebmann, Jr. of Lombard, Ill., Renee Moore of Roanoke, Ind., Brian Liebmann of Los Angeles, Calif., Sandy VonDeylen of Johns Island, S.C., and Tracie MacLaughlin of Grass Valley, Calif.
Funeral Service is 11 am Friday, Oct. 25, 2024 at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 7710 E. State Blvd, Fort Wayne with visitation one hour prior. Friends and family will also be received 5 - 8 pm Thursday, Oct. 24 at D.O. McComb & Sons Funeral Homes – Pine Valley, 1320 E Dupont Rd, Fort Wayne. Interment at Concordia Cemetery Gardens, Fort Wayne.
Memorial Contributions in honor of Diane Benecke may be directed to Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 1461 Sparta Hwy, Crossville, TN 38572, Christ Lutheran Church, 615 W Vah Ki Inn Rd, Coolidge, AZ 85128, Bethany Lutheran Church, 1550 Modaff Rd, Naperville, IL 60565, Alzheimer’s Disease Research, 22512 Gateway Center Drive, Clarksburg, MD 20871; Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, FDR Station, PO Box 220, New York, NY 10150; or Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Avenue, Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601-7633.
