Obituary: Diane M. Gonsalves, 63, Woburn High Graduate

Diane M. Gonsalves passed away Tuesday, June 24 at her home in Greenfield, surrounded by her beloved family. The loving daughter of Jean (Lucas) Gonsalves of Woburn and the late Ernie Gonsalves, Diane was 63 years of age.

Born in Woburn, she was one of seven children born into the Gonsalves family. Growing up in Woburn she attended Woburn Schools and was a graduate of Woburn High School with the Class of 1969. The entire Gonsalves family loved to camp. All throughout her childhood and teenage years they would spend summers at their lake home in Raymond, NH and camp. From Washington D.C., Mohawk Trail, Canada, and Niagara Falls, all seven children piled into the station wagon and off they would venture! Each trip was always better than the last, all sharing in the hiking, swimming, camping, and fun.

Following high school Diane furthered her education at UMass Amherst, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Education. She began teaching at the Mohawk Regional High School in Buckland for several years and then to Sheffield Elementary School in Turners Falls, where she remained for the next 23 years. She loved teaching and working with children and for her entire professional career, making a difference in a lot of lives!

Diane was also blessed with three children of her own. She was a very devoted mother and dedicated herself to them. The outside was her palace of adventure for herself and her children. Walking, playing, gathering some of nature’s gifts to make crafts, or watching the sunset, it was all encompassing. Diane’s flower gardens were next to something else you have never seen. Her creative abilities and flare for color was phenomenal and was shown through her gardening abilities. At one time in the past the local news station came by to speak with her and “show off" her gardens, which she and the kids worked on from early spring to late fall.

A very soft spoken, intelligent woman, Diane had quite an impact on everyone and everything she came in contact with. A wonderful love of family, a true friend to many, an incredible teacher, and a passionate gardener, Diane has truly left a legacy that will long be cherished in the hearts of all who have had the distinct pleasure of sharing in her life.

Diane was sadly predeceased by her father, Ernest R. Gonsalves.

She is lovingly survived by her mother, Jean M. (Lucas) Gonsalves of Woburn; her children, Jason E. Trembley and his wife Nicole of Westfield, Leah Ortiz and her husband Grabiel of Greenfield, and Rebekah Trembley of West Springfield; her siblings, Ernest R. Gonsalves and his wife Betsy of PA, Gary J. Gonsalves of Woburn, Barbara Jean Wilson and her husband Alex of Reading, Julie A. Cuddy of Lowell, Debra J. Graham and her husband Steven of Maynard, and Roy J. Gonsalves of NH; and her grandchildren, Nolan and Grabiel, Jr.

Funeral from the Lynch-Cantillon Funeral Home, 263 Main Street, Woburn on Friday, June 27 at 9:15 a.m. followed by a Mass in St. Charles Church, 280 Main St., Woburn at 10. Interment in Woodbrook Cemetery, Woburn. Calling hours will be held at the Funeral Home on Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m.

Remembrances may be made in Diane’s memory to the Pleasant Street Community Garden, c/o Alice Timmons, 264 Davis St., Greenfield, MA 01301.