Marilyn Diane Dole

Marilyn “Diane” Dole joined her husband in heaven on June 8, 2021. Diane was born in Hutchinson, Kansas to Dr. J.D. and Virginia Burger on July 28, 1949. Her father recognized early on that she had a curious mind and a photographic memory. It was his wish she follow in his footsteps and go to medical school. However, J.D. was the first (and not the last) person to learn that Diane was a strong-willed girl, and she did what she wanted. She graduated from high school in 1967, and while her high school boyfriend Dan headed off to Vietnam, she moved to England and attended college at Durham University to study archaeology. After a couple of years, Diane returned to the States and landed at the University of Kansas, where she eventually graduated with a degree in Occupational Therapy. Diane had two children, Cori and Adam, and was the kind of mother who laughed with her children every day. One of Cori’s first memories of her mother was that she had “smiley blue eyes” and was always laughing. (It was the 1970s, so there was a fair amount of blue eyeshadow going on too, but she could pull it off.) One of Diane’s special gifts was seeing the talents and gifts of others and encouraging those qualities. She was also an amazing listener. Growing up, her children could look like “ragamuffins” at times, but Diane was not one who worried about appearances, and she didn’t care if the house was messy. Her priorities were raising kind and compassionate human beings and making sure that they felt loved. And she excelled at this. In 1987 she married her high school sweetheart “Danny”, and they lived together on their farm outside of Weston, Missouri, where they had an endless list of hobbies. She enjoyed gardening, weaving, sewing, making jewelry, pottery, painting, decorating, making wine and beer, making flower arrangements, and making memories with their grandchildren. She inherited two more children when she married Dan, Cliff and Heidi, and she loved them as if they were her own. Diane was not without faults, but she laughed when her children teased her. She had a fiery temper at times, and a love/hate relationship with the internet. This made for a lot of family jokes, and her kids may have dodged her calls when they knew she needed help with her cell phone. It was also a well-known fact that in the family that Diane had very strong political opinions and if you didn’t agree with her you had better not enter that debate because it was a hill that she was willing to die on. She would also want you to know that Google does in fact change people’s passwords without their consent. She was sure of it. Diane often summed up her thoughts on religion with a quote from Ghandi, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Diane had strong opinions on social justice, loving everyone, and compassion for all living creatures that she did not find reflected in many organized religions. So, she prayed, and taught her children to have faith in God, but always reminded them to think for themselves and love everyone. She is survived by her children; Cori (Johnny) Ingram of Basehor, Kansas, Adam (Michelle) Heffley of McLouth, Kansas, Cliff (Jill) Dole of Gravois Mills, Missouri, Heidi Dole of Hutchinson, Kansas, nine grandchildren; Jordon, Brody, Aidan, Ava, Cooper, Rex, Abraham, Oscar, and Quinn; her extended Dole family in Parker, Colorado, and her sister by choice, Mary Anne (Dennis) Parker of Weston, Missouri. The family will have a private memorial at Diane’s request. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

Marilyn Diane Dole

July 28, 1949 - June 8, 2021