Diana was born on November 6, 1925 in Providence, Rhode Island, to Gordon Raymond Haslam and Ruth Harrington Haslam. She was the oldest of six children: Phyllis, Gordon, Beverly, Gail, and Donald. Their many adventures and mishaps near home in Cranston, RI, at Coles’ Farm on the Rhode Island coast, and Pudding Hill in Lyndonville, Vermont, led to years of storytelling and laughter. Diana also worked her way through the chairs to become Worthy Advisor of the Cranston Assembly of Rainbow Girls.
Diana graduated from Boston University’s Sargent College with a degree in Physical Therapy. She taught horseback riding as a summer counselor at Sargent Summer Camp for children; interned at Warm Springs, Georgia, as a Physical Therapist treating polio patients; and worked at the Meeting Street School for cerebral palsy in Providence. In 1947, her brother Gordon invited his sisters to dances at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont. She met one of Gordon’s good friends, a returning World War II veteran, Harry Eastman Page, also from Cranston, RI. Harry courted Diana, paying young Donald a quarter to leave them alone, and they finally married in 1949. After a honeymoon on Highland Lake in Bridgton, Maine, they left for Valdez, Alaska, where Harry worked as a surveyor for the Alaska Road Commission. This was just the beginning of their lives on the move.
Together, Harry and Diana built a small house in Valdez, Alaska, and began their family. Diana’s first plane ride was on a floatplane to Cordova, Alaska, to give birth to their oldest son Harry, Jr. and, a year later, she gave birth to their second son, Raymond. In 1952, the family returned to New England, moving to Littleton Common, MA, where their third son, William, was born. A few years later, they returned to Cranston, RI, and the family grew, adding daughters, Anne and Elizabeth. There, she was active in the Edgewood Congregational Church and sang in the choir, often as a soloist.
In 1962, Harry took a job with the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab, and the family moved to West Lebanon, NH, where Diana worked at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital. Harry began working for the US Air Force in 1968 and they moved to South Hadley, MA, then to Bossier City, LA, and later to Wiesbaden, Germany, followed by Ramstein, Germany. While living in Germany, the family travelled extensively throughout Europe. They decided to return “stateside” in 1977, and transferred to Pope Air Force Base in Fayetteville, NC. Here, Diana received a notable Certificate of Appreciation from the US Air Force for her devotion and support throughout Harry’s career. When Harry retired in 1983, they moved to Scarborough, ME, where they established their own log home business, built a beautiful, personally designed log home, and Diana sold real estate with Century 21 for many years.
Wherever they were, their homes were often filled with family members and friends who needed support, extra love, and a welcoming environment. Family gatherings were huge affairs featuring Diana’s outstanding cooking, especially her famous baked beans and pies. Diana made the very best pie crust, a skill she learned in Alaska and perfected in baking every week for her family. Hours were spent around the extended dining room table discussing personal problems and celebrating successes, reminiscing with lots of laughter. No one wanted to leave the table even if more comfortable chairs beckoned from another room. These moments were cherished by Diana as the gathering of family was her fundamental joy.
Diana was always active, working outside the home, raising five children, and making great friends through the many bowling leagues, golf leagues, and quilting groups. Diana was a master quilter and every child, grandchild, and great-grandchild received a beautifully, and individually designed and often hand-quilted work of art, which she insisted was to be used, not just looked at. Diana was active in the Pine Tree Quilters’ Guild and Casco Bay Quilters for over twenty-five years, and was especially proud of the hundreds of hand-made quilts she donated to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, Maine Veteran’s Home, and Gosnell Memorial Hospice House.
Diana was predeceased by her parents, brother Gordon, and sisters Phyllis and Beverly. She leaves her devoted husband of just over 71 years, Harry; son Harry, Jr. of South Portland and his children Bradley, Stephen, and Katherine; son Raymond and his wife Heather of Scarborough, their children Miranda and Skylar; son William and his wife Gayle of The Woodlands, TX, and their children Christopher, Matthew, and Stefanie (who with her husband Brad, provided Diana with her 5 great-grandchildren); daughter Anne of West Lebanon, NH; and Elizabeth, of Portland, ME.
There will be no services at this time. Diana will be cremated and later laid to rest in the Norwich University cemetery.
Please visit www.jonesrichandbarnes.com to view Diana’s tribute page and to sign her online guestbook.
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