Diane Neff

With great sadness, we announce the passing of our mother, Diane Elizabeth Neff (1943-2023). She died in October a week shy of her 80th birthday, five months after being diagnosed with cancer. She was the beloved daughter of Eunice and Ken Whiteley, sister of Peter, mother of Christine and Michael, mother-in-law to Diep, and grandmother of Emilia and Anna. After her much loved husband died at age 30, while she was pregnant with their second child, she made great sacrifices to try to give her children the best life she could. She was smart, a keen observer of human nature, funny, challenging at times and often selfless. She was also a skilled artisan, master baker and perfectionist to the core.

After growing up in Toronto, she moved to the suburban city of Whitby to raise her kids and then moved to Victoria after her parents had passed in a largely successful effort to avoid the snow. She greatly enjoyed her time in Victoria, with its more relaxed pace, friendly atmosphere and natural beauty. When she received the diagnosis, she was in the final stages of planning her move to California so that she could spend time with Emilia and a second granddaughter on the way. Always wonderful with kids, Emilia had taken to her right away and brought a new spark to our mom's life. While we were hoping for more time for her to spend with her granddaughters, we are grateful for the time we had and the great many memories we forged.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the caring staff at Victoria Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, donations would be gratefully received for the Canadian Cancer Society or MS Canada.