Visitation Wednesday; funeral mass Thursday
Diane Marie (Carroll) Conway, born April 13, 1943 in Chicago, Illinois. Died October 8, 2020; in Elmhurst. Daughter of John and Mildred (Kotroba) Carroll and stepdaughter of Raymond Ledford. She grew up on Maple Avenue in Berwyn and was a graduate of Morton West High School. After graduation she attended St. Mary of the Woods College in Indiana. But when her father died, she transferred to Loyola University in Chicago where she met her future husband Jim. When he graduated and joined the Navy, they got married and she left school early. Although she traveled frequently throughout the South and New England as a Naval wife, Diane returned to Loyola to graduate with a degree in education. She enjoyed her teaching career at St. Joseph’s in Addison and Erie Neighborhood House in Chicago. During this time, she was also beset by a wide variety of health problems that she would continue to be burdened with throughout her life, though she outlasted them all. Diane was an avid reader with a great love of history and later in life she traveled to places like Quebec, Prague, Vienna, Ireland, Russia and others. However, her favorite moments were spent at her mother’s cottage on Gun Lake Michigan which is where her mother was born in the family farmhouse and where she was surrounded by an extensive number of aunts, uncles and cousins. She was preceded in death by her father John Carroll, her older brother Paul Carroll, her mother Mildred (Kotroba) Ledford and her stepfather Raymond Ledford. She is survived by her husband Jim Conway; her brothers Jack (Kathy), Dean (Karen) and Wayne (Susan) Carroll and her stepsisters Carol, Marcy and Debbie. Diane also leaves behind two sons, Jim (Wendy) Conway and John (Corinne Queenan) Conway, and a daughter Elizabeth (Patrick) McManus, as well as grandchildren Willem (Eneida) Conway, Colin, Brendan, Megan, Mary Clair McManus and Archie Conway; and great-grandchildren Ireland, Declan, and Locklan Conway and countless nieces and nephews. Diane celebrated her 56th wedding anniversary on August 15 of this year. She will be laid to rest with her ancestors in the family graveyard at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church in Michigan and will be dearly missed by all. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Sister Thomas Leo Fund at Visitation Church. Visitation will be Wednesday, Oct. 14 from 4-7 p.m. at Elmhurst Community Funeral Home – The Ahlgrim Chapel, 567 S. Spring Rd. Elmhurst. Funeral Mass will be Thursday, October 15; 10 a.m. at Visitation Catholic Church, 779 S York St, Elmhurst. Internment at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Cemetery, Wayland, MI.
