After suffering through End Stage Renal Disease for almost three years, she passed quietly and peacefully in her sleep after a long day of celebration for her son's birthday. All of her kids and grand-kids were visiting that day and she was thoroughly enjoying her family's attention and love. She was born in Long Beach, California to TJ and Helen Knight, but grew up with them and her brother, Terry Knight, in Cypress California where she had an idyllic childhood with fantastic life-long friends.
In High School Dianne's family moved to Anaheim, CA where she joined the Western High School A Capella Choir – a very active, and famous (in their own right) choir, that sang at the State Capital, various opening events, entertained for the Armed Services Network to servicemen serving overseas, and at the Expo-67 in Montreal, Canada and in New York City. Racking up accomplishments, they recorded two Christmas albums as the “Singing Christmas Tree.”
After graduating she married John Miller and moved to Prescott Arizona. After ten years and childless, they dissolved their marriage. She went to work at Kimberly Clark in Fullerton, and was working there when she met the true love of her life at The Eagles Nest Christian Fellowship in Orange County, CA. They married eight months later, and one year, almost to the date, she and her husband John Reno had their first child, Christopher John, born one day before their first anniversary. She had difficulties having more children so she and John adopted Katharine Jean “Katie” almost two years later, and then adopted Paul Jefferson, their very first of more than thirty foster children.
Taking a job transfer offer that would provide better security for their young family, they moved to West Valley City, Utah. Focusing now on raising their three children, the years passed by quickly, and they were very involved in developing their Assembly of God church community. With their children now growing up, Chris went to school in Florida to become a missionary/minister. He met the love of his life, Danielle there and married her after he returned from a long tour in the Philippines. Together they have four children that have blessed Dianne to no end. The oldest is TJ (named after Chris' grandfather), Judah, Rachel, and Reese.
Katie has worked several highly challenging jobs that require fast thinking, good social skills, and a servant's heart. She has done her mother proud as a very attentive and loving daughter.
Paul has overcome natural difficulties that most would back away from, Dianne is very proud of him for his high standard of accountability, responsible attitude, generous heart and family loving nature. They were very close since he is disabled and she was retired, thus spending much of their days together and he would provide care as needed. Paul remarked that it was a great gift he received to know that his Mom went to heaven on his birthday.
Of all things she has been proud of, she was the most proud of being a Mom, and Grandmother. She was always optimistic, engaging, caring and loving. Thus she attracted many devoted friendships, with her natural wisdom, many came to her for mentorship and leadership.
Memorial services will be held on June 23rd, 2018 at the Salt Lake Christian Center at 2:00 p.m. 4300 South 700 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84107.
Inurnment service will take place on the same day at 3:45 p.m. at Valley View Memorial Park, 4335 West 4100 South, West Valley City, Utah 84120. Inurnment location #1132.
A dinner celebration will follow at 4:45 p.m. at the Salt Lake Christian Center in the gymnasium.
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