Diane Watt (née Gauthier)

The family welcomes your sharing of any memories or photos you have of Diane in the comment section below. In lieu of flowers we encourage donations to St. Luke’s Place of Cambridge, ON, where she received excellent care in the last year of her life.

Diane was born on November 4, 1946, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Louis and Pauline (née Pylypiuk) Gauthier, the second of four children: her older sister Elizabeth (Liz), and younger brothers John (Jon), and Darryl. She spent happy summers on her maternal grandparents’ farm in Sarto, Manitoba, with her many cousins.

In her teens, Diane attended Secretarial school at Tech Vocational and met lifelong friends, including Judy Mobberly (née Petsnik). The Petsniks welcomed Diane into their home for a memorable and formative year. Ben and Mabel (Dukie) Petsniks continued to play a role in Diane’s life and eventually became the beloved “ungrandparents” to her children.

In 1967, the sparkling blue eyes of a handsome airman captured Diane’s heart. She married John Allen (Al) Watt on a snow-covered May afternoon in Winnipeg in 1968. Becoming a military wife was a challenge for a Winnipeg girl who had never seen the ocean, but Diane embraced her new life. After a brief stint in Winnipeg, she and Al moved to Edmonton, where her first two children were born. When her first child, Cameron (Cam) Paul was born, Al was away on assignment. Aunt Olive Auger (née Gauthier) drove Diane to the hospital and supported her through the birth. Diane and Al forged many lifelong friendships with other military families including the Stoddarts, Youngs, Blairs, and the Beaulnes, among others. Her second child, Alanna Jean, was also born in Edmonton. Four years later, Graham Christopher was born in Winnipeg.

In Belleville, Diane made more lifelong friends moving next door to the Geens. In Comox, BC, Mount Washington beckoned Diane as she learned to downhill ski at age 35 — surprising even herself. During this season of her life, with Al being away for weeks to months at a time, Diane faithfully held down the family fort. As for many military wives, her work outside the home at this time was limited to part-time jobs. However, as her children grew older, Diane worked for the Union of Operating Engineers office in Winnipeg, and in the Admissions Office at Grant McEwan Community College (now McEwan University) in Edmonton, jobs that were interesting and rewarding for her; and of course led to many strong friendships.

Diane retired at the ripe age of 54 from Grant McEwan and together with Al, embarked upon an exciting new chapter, spending the next 19 winters at Ramblers’ Rest Park in Venice, Florida. This led to wonderful friendships, many happy trips and cruises, including a much-loved trip to Italy, as well as newfound skills, for example as an international Bocce champion. Central to these retirement years was ensuring strong relationships with her grandchildren, and Diane was a devoted grandmother who was known as “Baba” “Nana” and “Mormor”.

Diane is survived by her three children, her son-in-law Jesper Sjöström, and daughter-in-law Jennifer Yu-Ling Watt (née Peng). She is also survived by 8 grandchildren: Alexis Hand (née Watt; married to Zachariah (Zach) Hand), Cayden and Aislyn Watt, Sofia and Hugo Watt Sjöström, and Hannah, Elijah, and Naomi Watt. Diane is predeceased by her husband of 53 years, Al, who died of ALS during the Covid pandemic in 2021. She is also predeceased by her parents, her brother Jon, and her granddaughter, Ellinor Watt Sjöström.

Fundamental to Diane’s life was her faith in God. She went about her days humming the chorus of much-loved hymns and spiritual songs. As a teen, Diane went with her dear Aunt Jean to mass in Winnipeg. After every move, Diane actively joined the local parish, giving of her time and talents to the community and to God. In the last decades, she and Al’s faith journey led them to find friendships and community at Calvary Baptist church in Guelph.

Diane’s life was characterized by her role as a peacemaker. Emerging from a challenging childhood home, she was determined to create a loving, nurturing and supportive home where her children would thrive. A lifelong putterer, Diane was happy when baking or cooking for her family. And who could forget her remarkable Jeopardy-like ability to recall birthdays and anniversaries of not only family members, but also of childhood friends, friends of friends, and sometimes seemingly of random strangers. She was thoughtful and compassionate with her friends and family, a fantastic, loving mother and grandmother, and was a selfless, constant companion and caretaker to Al during his decline from ALS.

After the loss of her life’s companion, Diane faced several health challenges over the last years of her life. Nonetheless, she enjoyed regular phone calls with many friends and family members. In need of supportive care, Diane moved first to Stone Lodge Retirement Residence in Guelph, but after a fall, ended up at St. Luke’s Place in Cambridge. Her family and friends are grateful for the excellent care she received by the staff at St. Luke’s and encourage donations to be made to this outstanding organization.

Friends and relatives are invited to visit Gilbert MacIntyre & Son Funeral Home - Hart Chapel (1099 Gordon St. Guelph) on Sunday, October 12, 2025 from 2:00 - 3:00 pm with a Memorial Service to follow at 3:00 pm in the Funeral Home. Cremation has taken place.