Obituary
Diane Slonina (Turner) of Somerville passed away on April 14, 2024, comfortably, at home. She was 68 years old. In accordance with her wishes, there will be no services. She will be cremated, and her ashes interred at her camp on her beloved Deer Pond in Hollis Maine.
Diane was beautiful, intelligent, loving, caring, thoughtful, compassionate, empathetic, and generous. She was warm, humble, and immensely kind. If you were lucky enough to have known her, then you were granted an enormously special gift. She will be missed terribly by her family and friends.
Diane is survived by her loving husband/best friend/soul mate of 42 years, David Slonina. Diane and David are the loves of each other’s lives.
Devoted daughter of the late Archibald Turner and Irene Turner-Anderson of Somerville, Stepdaughter of the late James Anderson of Arlington. Niece of the late Beatrice Doherty-Flynn and her husband Joe of Florida, and Evelyn Turner Shiere and her husband Charles of Somerville.
Beloved Daughter-in-Law of Marie Slonina and her late husband Henry Slonina of East Cambridge, Somerville and Lowell.
Loving sister of Carol Dunne and her husband Charles of Londonderry, New Hampshire, Sandra Fowler and her husband James of Andover, Massachusetts, the late David Turner, late Stephen Turner, and Stephen’s widow Florence Turner of Florida.
Cherished Sister-in-Law of Henry J. Slonina of Somerville, Mary Ricci and her husband Michael of Tewksbury, and the late Anthony Slonina and his former wife Betsy Cullen of Watertown.
Treasured aunt of Melanie Sheehy and her husband Brian of Methuen, Amy Rufo and her Husband Tom of New Hampshire, Charles Dunne of New Hampshire, Leah James of New York, Courtney Dunne of New Hampshire and Michael Slonina and his wife Nicole of Watertown.
Adoring Great Aunt of Brynn Sheehy, Owen Sheehy and Connor Sheehy, Alison Rufo, T.J. Rufo, and Leo Rufo.
Life-long friend of Georgia Woodsworth of Somerville. Loving “second mother” to Nicole Woodsworth-Sullivan, her husband Neil and their children Julia, Andrew, and Bailey of Cambridge. Everlasting love of angels Andrew and Michelle Woodsworth, rest in peace.
Diane’s legacy may be recognized in various ways. Those who wish to honor Diane’s true and overarching essence of immense kindness may do so by making a charitable donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (a charity close to her heart), or any charity of your choosing, or by simply performing one genuine act of kindness in Diane’s memory.
Diane attended the Carr School in Somerville, Weston Junior High School and graduated from Somerville High School.
She held accounting positions at East Cambridge Savings Bank and Benjamin Thompson and Associates Architects, Inc. Most recently, Diane worked for over forty years for ProPrint as an office/business manager/bookkeeper with long-time colleague, collaborator and friend, Jay Arthur.
She was loving mother and caretaker to all her dogs; Isis, Sam, Mia (all departed) and, most recently, Ted E. Bear (an adopted 170-pound Great Pyrenees, German Shepherd mix who adored her most).
She loved to crochet Afghan blankets for her loved ones until it became too difficult for her hands to do. Crocheting was a family tradition handed down from her beloved Nana Doherty.
She treasured going to her Deer Pond in Hollis, Maine to care for her precious hummingbirds, to play dominos with family and friends, cards and board games with all the nieces and nephews, whist with her siblings, mother and stepdad. She loved to deliver Lyndells pastry and cupcakes to everyone and to enjoy the quiet peacefulness and beauty of the pond, especially the afternoon’s four o’clock breeze.
She was a “meat and potatoes” girl, as she would say, but was crazy over a Polish dish called Nalesiki, a form of blintz, laborious to make. She would always ask, “Can we have some now?” as the batches of Nalesiki were being made. She would assist in making mounds of them on New Years Eve, working long into the night and then sharing the dish at a Polish food banquet with friends and family on New Years Day. She loved ice cream sundaes (with mint chocolate chip ice cream and extra hot fudge……no nuts!) and was a chocolate fanatic.
She adored tulips and couldn’t wait for spring for them to arrive. Ironically, she passed just when the tulips were starting to bloom.
I cursed God when this happened. It made no sense to me. So many terrible, awful, horrible people in the world that should be removed from this planet and God called her? HER? MY DIANE? The best woman, wife, and friend to me, and so many others! Her?
Then, upon reflection, I realized that I should instead be thanking God for sending her to me. As painful as her passing is, I am so amazingly and incredibly lucky to have met her and that she chose to marry and spend the rest of her life with me.
She was the best person I’ve ever known and the love of my life, my champion, my partner, and my safe harbor. She allowed me to attempt to fly and made sure I wasn’t injured when trying to land. She was never judgmental, petty, envious, or mean. She cared deeply for everyone she knew and loved.
She would do things for relative strangers whom she found to be in need and would do those things anonymously never looking for thanks or acknowledgement.
Thanks to Lindsay, Katie and Danielle from Visiting Nurse and Community Care of Arlington for their wonderful hospice care.
Special thanks to my sister Mary and her husband Mike, and my brother Hank for their invaluable and precious support.
To Diane’s loving and wonderful sister Carol, words of gratitude would never come close to communicating how much your selfless dedication, loving care, amazing strength and tenderness meant to Diane and to me. Diane loved you with all her heart and so do I. Immeasurable and infinite thanks for everything you did. You’re amazing.
Diane, my love, memories of you will be cherished forever in the many hearts you touched and help to fill the gaping hole left by the pieces of those hearts that went with you. The hole in my heart, however, will remain hollow until we are united once again and my heart repaired and restored.