Diane Susan Stauffer

Diane was born on August 26, 1948 in Champaign, Illinois to Francis and Alma (Miller) Merrifield. Growing up, she loved to read books, enjoyed cheerleading, and was often laughing and spending time with family and friends. After graduating from Champaign high school in 1966, she attended McPherson College in Kansas, majoring in elementary education. It was there that she met the love of her life, Jim Stauffer, and the two were married in 1969. Diane went on to obtain her Master’s in Education at the University of Iowa, which she received in 1974. Diane and Jim were blessed with two children, Matt and Krissa, and they raised their family in Kansas City, Missouri, and later moved to Omaha, Nebraska in 2006. Diane loved her job as a teacher, and her passion for her work showed through the numerous awards she won, including Teacher of the Year, Excellence in Teaching, Kansas City Star Teacher Award, and later in Omaha, the Alice Buffett Award. She believed that all children can learn through relationship building, and always went the extra mile to support children and their families. She would always tell people, “Teach from the heart.” The fire marshals in Kansas City knew Diane well because of the lights she used to decorate her classroom. The asked her year after year to take them down, but she would always politely say, “No”, with a laugh. After a few years of this, they began to just skip her room during their inspection. Diane was able to make a wonderful impact on students during her time as a teacher, and she was also honored to serve as a principal and school administrator. In addition to her love of teaching, Diane also cherished being a wife, mother, and grandmother and enjoyed any time spent with family. She especially took joy in attending sporting events that her children or grandchildren were participating in. Her love for reading continued throughout her life, and she also developed a passion for gardening. She loved flowers, especially tulips, and people would slow down as they passed her yard because she had created such a beautiful garden. No one could make Eggs Benedict like Diane, and she was also famous for her cookies and brownies. When Diane wasn’t cooking, Olive Garden was a favorite restaurant to visit, and she also was fond of the sausage and egg biscuits from McDonalds. Diane was a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, the Beatles were her favorite band, she liked to watch Pride and Prejudice, and some favorite snacks included Junior Mints, Root Beer, and Hot Chocolate. Most of all, Diane loved to laugh and share stories. She had a talent for always finding the best quality in a person. Her friends and family will remember her as a kind, honest, loving, considerate, energetic, passionate, assertive, and genuine woman whom they will greatly miss. Diane was preceded in death by her parents, Francis and Alma Merrifield and brothers, Carl and Russ Merrifield. She is survived by her husband, Jim Stauffer; children, Matthew (Molly) Stauffer and Krissa (Dave) Hollinger; grandchildren, Heidi and Wyatt Stauffer; and siblings: Saundie (John) Gardner, Karen (Dale) Baer, and Kevin (Lisa) Merrifield.

Diane Susan Stauffer

August 26, 1948 - May 15, 2022