Dian Loucks was born on the 29th of June 1946 and passed on October 3, 2017, surrounded by family. She is survived by her husband, Kenneth Loucks, her three children, Robert Loucks, Andrea Nicholaou, and James Loucks, five grandchildren, and by other friends and extended family.
From her daughter Andrea Nicholaou….
My mother loved her entire family. As I grew and had a family of my own, she did all she could for me, my husband, who she thought the world of, and, eventually, my three daughters, her granddaughters, and loved us all unconditionally.
My mother loved to create and make things and she had a particular fondness and for sewing and crafts. She made my dad countless suit jackets, intricate oriental dresses for my daughters, and dresses for herself and others. The more detail that was required the better for her which is likely the reason why she enjoyed cross stitch so much. She enjoyed giving her time to whatever project was at hand and the time invested was a reflection of the love she was putting into the project. She loved to make people smile and happy – and this was her way of doing just that. My mother loved the color purple and loved to read — especially harlequin romance novels. Though she hated pink flamingos, she received more than a few as a gift from me – that was just one of those things between us. She loved to play tricks on people to get them to smile and laugh – which is probably why I kept giving her pink flamingos. She loved Matlock and Colombo; which was all she watched when her first two granddaughters were born and she came to visit. My mother tried several times to loose weight but was not successful at it. But, it was during these attempts that she worked out to Richard Simmons videos, which she loved, she would dance and enjoy herself. When dancing away to these videos she was not self conscious. Though this she taught me self confidence. My mother loved to cook and would never cook a small meal. Never cooking a small meal is a lesson that I learned well from her. By preparing more than you need for that meal, you will have leftovers to share with your guests, and you will be sharing the love put into meal even after they have left your home. She hated hotdogs but loved lobster and steak and when I was younger, her favorite snacks was pineapple and cottage cheese. She often had this snack after donating blood – another lesson I learned from her, how to be selfless. My mother loved just to talk and catch up with friends but wasn’t good at reaching out for help – was stubborn. My mother loved to work. She found joy and value in the appreciation shared by others at a job well done. I remember going with her into the craft room to just talk, and laugh, and she’d show me some of the she made and other things she had found at a garage sale. My mother loved going garage sales and flea markets. She loved a good bargain. She may not have needed something, but if it was a bargain, it was now hers. She said that seeing the various items and knickknacks for sale reminded her of the good old days when she was child and the early days of marriage before me and my brothers came along; though, she often added, with a smile, “not really” to the end of the comment. For my mother, the ‘good old days’ were spending time with all of her family and sharing her love – through her crafts, the food she made, and the advice, joy and laughter.
From her son Robert Loucks…..
She brought me into this world knowing that it would not be easy. Thru the years she taught me and my sister how to be satisfied with what we had, but still strive for better. Mom would always say, “things might seem better for others, but God has a plan.” That was true for all aspects of life for her . She would wish for stuff, but knew how to use what she had to better for all. Her guidance was the same for all. Whether her kids, her nieces and nephews, kids in the church or those she taught. She was the type who had her favorites, but treated all the same, As her child I saw her hurt for those who were less fortunate, but still guide them as if they were one of the rest. I saw her encourage the down trodden with out making them feel less than the crowd. This I know came from her childhood, because on occasions we would talk about her past. My mother may have had regrets, however they were not of things not done or said , but the inability she felt she had to help. Even though she did not feel she was educated or smart enough, she still encouraged us to do better. Mom sometimes went into a self pity but would always pull herself out to help others, including dad. She was the person who did not steer the crowd or others, but gently guided the course. She, through her actions, taught us to be ourselves no matter the cost. But, to remember the consequences of our actions and be accountable for them. Even if she did not like something, she would do it if she felt it was Gods will. As hard as it was she learned Portuguese. She was not comfortable with if, but she did it. Still through the changing times as a pastors wife and raising three kids she remained true to herself. She taught love through exampling it. She taught holding on through her living it. She taught 1 / 2 understanding through showing it. She taught obedience to Gods will by exampling it in her willingness to be a pastor’s wife and a mother of strong willed kids.
This is from Jimmy, her youngest son.
When I hear the phrase live, laugh, and love, my mother did exactly that. She lived by trying to do things that she wasn’t accustomed to. She laughed every time she could and made others do the same. She loved like she had never been hurt. Her heart and soul was poured into everyone she met and everything she did. My mother loved cooking and never measured anything. She said that way no one could steal her recipes from her. There wasn’t anything that she couldn’t cook, except a small meal. I remember trying to help in the kitchen when I could, mostly peeling potatoes or the like. She would let me use the sharp knife only when she was around; if she had to go check up on something she would demand I only use the peeler. One day I thought I was old enough to use the knife while she went and got more potatoes. I sliced my finger and I cried thinking I was going to get in trouble. When she saw what happened she just ran and got a bandage and some towels to stop the bleeding. That was my first time really seeing her tend to wounds which she would find she would have to do often for me as I grew. She was an amazing woman who taught me many things while we were in Brazil. When we would go on trips to build churches in the interior of Brazil I would take my schoolwork with me. If my writing assignments weren’t up to par, she would make me erase it all and tell me to “Write it neatly.” Mom enjoyed making things for everyone too. Cross stitch was her favorite pastime. She made clothes for all of us kids and dad, and for others that needed them. She taught me how to latch hook and needlepoint. She would have an entire piece completed in the 2 hours it would take me to even get the first row done. She had a great eye for colors and could tell the difference between colors that seemed to match almost completely but was just off enough. She also started my love of reading. She would read her Harlequin Romance books all the time. When I wanted to spend time with my mom I would go get a book and try to read with her. She could finish a book in day or two, depending on if she had any cross stitch to finish. She would read me stories all the time and have me read them with her. The amount of patience my mother had was astounding. She loved everyone, but especially children. She loved making arts and crafts, teaching them how to do word searches. My mom could be working with someone who just wanted to cause trouble and by the end of her sitting with that person; they would have learned and started asking questions on how to do things. She loved teaching and the more stubborn the child, the more patience she had. I am living proof of that. My mother also had a great sense of humor. The first church I remember going to, we had a family that was so close that we considered them part of our family. Her and Johnny would start playing around and try to catch each other off guard, but mom always won. During one of the hottest days when I was young, she managed to get a piece of ice down Johnny’s shirt. He was running around the church for quite a while and said he would get her back. Mom always taught me to have fun in life and never be too serious. She taught me the value of watching your words, and forgiving others.