Diana Marie Mayer

Diana (Diane) Marie Mayer transitioned from earthly life to Eternal life on June 21, 2023 after receiving visits from family and friends during 10 days at the CHP Inpatient Facility in Defiance. She passed as she had lived surrounded by many family members and friends. She was born on December 22, 1948, to Dale and Madonna (Stevenson) Hammons. On December 23, 1967, she married her husband of 55 years, Jeffrey L. Mayer who survives.
They raised a family of four children, Kimberly (Jerry) Mayer-Bennett of Jasper, FL, Timothy (Wendy) Mayer of Evansport, OH, Jennifer (Craig) Pelland of Port Charlotte, FL and Katherine (Chad) Relue of Defiance, OH.
Diane enjoyed continuing deep involvement with their grandchildren, Jeffrey (Stephanie) Baldridge of Los Angeles, CA, Tyler Mayer of Maumee, OH, Emily (Shane) Kramer of Defiance, OH, Victoria (Ryan) Carr, of Colorado Springs, CO. Joseph Winners of Ft. Benning, GA, David (Karen) Winners of Las Cruses, NM and Kai Relue of Chesapeake, VA.
Grandma “Dinner” (because she fed everyone) continued to have special and close relationships with their 12 great-grandchildren.
From a simple smile and a wave across pews at church Grandma Diane developed a special bond with Phillip and then his brothers Kaiden and Cameron. 
Diane was the oldest of nine children; Colleen Hammons, Dale Joseph Hammons, Margaret (Peg) Huffmann, William (Bill) Hammons, Karen Van Vlerah, Steven (Harold) Hammons, Thomas Hammons, and Rebecca (Ken) Lambert.  
Diane had three loves in her life; her family, her friends and travel. 
Diane loved to travel with her family. She took her kids - and grandkids - and great grandkids on trips whenever possible. Maybe a simple weekend at a nearby city to stay at a motel overnight or it might have been a bus trip with her seniors, or a road trip to Garden of the Gods and many in-between places. She and Jeff traveled to all 50 states and excursions all over the world.
She loved to travel with her senior groups of friends. For many years she owned and operated Cross Country Tours and worked closely with her friend Valeda Welch to organize and accompany tours all over the United States. Branson, Missouri and Niagara Falls, Canada were popular destinations multiple times.
Her work-life began and ended caring for children in the family and “adopting” others under her generous wing. When her children all started school she began the challenge of organizing and escorting bus tours. A job which combined not only her love for travel but being with friends and many times included her husband and children. For 18 years she was the Director of the Defiance County Senior Center. During her tenure the Center grew from an independent agency to a county agency supported by a tax levy that she and her staff successfully initiated. They also successfully became a nationally accredited Senior Center. Diane eventually traveled the country as an assessor helping other Centers attain accreditation. She thoroughly loved her current position as Defiance Township Trustee. 
Diane was preceded in death by her parents and infant brother, Dale Joseph.
Diane has donated her body to UTMC for anatomical study. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 am on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at St. Mary Catholic Church. Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the service from 10:00 to 11:00 am in the Church Annex. Interment of her cremains will take place at a later date.
Shaffer Funeral home was honored to assist the family with arrangements.
In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to CHP Hospice, Mercy Defiance Health Care Fund, St. Mary Food Pantry, St. Vincent de Paul or The Furniture Bank.