In Loving Memory of Diana Levine
Diana passed away on Feb. 24th, 2024 at the age of 74 after a courageous battle with ALS. Diana was born in Everett, MA to Norman and Joyce Lobley. Her parents moved back to Maine, where they were originally from, and Diana attended Greely High School in Cumberland and then went on to Endicott College.
Diana worked for the phone company and later took a job at L.L.Bean in Freeport. This was the beginning of a more than 30-year career working in supervisory positions for the iconic Maine outdoor retailer. She also volunteered at the Cancer Community Center in Portland for many years, co-facilitating a support group. Diana loved to cook, and baking was her specialty, as her family and friends can attest to.
Diana also spent many years volunteering with Furniture Friends, alongside her good friend, Pat Wheeler. While Diana and Pat had many roles over the years as volunteers, they spent much of their time doing outreach to clients and in-home visits to assess need and determine what furniture items would be delivered.
“The best part was meeting clients, hearing their stories and feeling a bit like social workers.”
Pat and Diana approached these visits as an opportunity for bonding and adventure, traveling all over the greater Portland area together weekly: meeting neighbors, measuring doorways/stairwells, finding parking and planning out deliveries.
Pat recalls their last home visit was on a rainy afternoon in April and said she treasures the memories of these trips now, doing the volunteer work that they both valued and found so rewarding.
Outside of Furniture Friends, their friendship spanned over 30 years and Pat remembers spending fall weekends in Rangeley with Diana, her husband Tom and her own husband, Al. Pat described Diana as her “go to person.” She says that Diana and Tom were a dream to travel with because they all enjoyed the same things. “If I ever needed a recipe, advice on which shoes to buy or how to make the perfect pie crust, Diana was my go to.”
She remembers Diana for her optimism, trustworthiness and persistent positivity. We hope our friends and neighbors will join us in honoring and remembering a major contributor to our work and mission, Diana Levin.
