Diane Kay Howard, age 74, passed away in her sleep on Monday,
August 28, 2017. She leaves behind a loving family and a legacy of
caring for others that extended far beyond her home.
Diane was born April 22, 1943 in Decatur, Indiana, the daughter
of Arnold and Dorothy (Miller) Erxleben. She was raised there in a
large extended family and was the oldest of five siblings, all of whom
were brought up in the Christian faith at Zion Friedheim Lutheran
Church. She attended a one room schoolhouse through the eighth
grade and graduated from Monmouth High School in Decatur in
1961. While there she was active in 4-H, chorus and theater. As a
senior, she was the lead actress in her high school play.
After graduation Diane started work at Lincoln Life Insurance in
Fort Wayne. In 1965 she met Gerald Howard; the couple married on
January 15, 1966 and moved to suburban Chicago the following year.
It was here that her two sons, Richard and Brian, were born. In 1972
the family moved to New Berlin. In addition to raising her children,
she worked part time as a payroll processor for Webb & Sons, Inc.
and as an administrative assistant for Dr. Richard Hood. In 1985 she
began work at Preferred Mutual Insurance Company in the Human
Resources department, from which she retired at the end of 2006.
Diane was an enthusiastic and active member of St. Andrew’s
Episcopal Church in New Berlin, serving in the vestry and singing
with the choir. She greatly enjoyed family, good friends and neighbors.
She loved traveling the country with Jerry, whether by plane,
Corvette, or on the back of their Harley-Davidson motorcycle. At the
time of her passing she was secretary of the Leatherstocking Corvette
Club; her retirement activities also included the New Berlin Library
Book Club and volunteering at the Chase Memorial Nursing Home.
She took a great deal of satisfaction in restoring the Queen Anne
Victorian that she and Jerry bought in 1974. It was in the comfort of
this beloved home that she took her final breath.
Diane is survived by Gerald, her loving husband of 51 years, her
children, Richard Howard (Michelle Hendricks) of Hartwick, Brian
(Paula) Howard of Sherburne, and grandsons Donovan and Curtis.
Her siblings, Gary (Sue) Erxleben of Sebring, FL, Dennis Erxleben
of Fort Wayne, IN, Marsha (Tom) Schraffenberger of Batavia,
OH, and Wayne Erxleben of Fort Wayne, as well as niece Sheri
Schraffenberger of Amelia, OH also survive. In retirement she took
great joy in her annual sibling reunions, the last of which was in New
Berlin in June 2017.
Calling hours will be held from 11AM to 2PM on Saturday,
September 2 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in New Berlin, followed
by a funeral service. Friends and family are invited to a meal
at the St. Andrew’s parish hall after the service. Interment at St.
Andrew’s Cemetery will be held at a later date.
Donations in Diane’s memory may be made to the Chenango
County SPCA or the Unadilla Valley Food Bank in care of St.
Andrew’s Episcopal Church. The family extends its appreciation to
our neighbors, friends, physicians and all others who were with Diane
through her final years.
Arrangements are by the Dakin Funeral Home LP, New Berlin, NY.
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.dakinfuneralhome.com.