Diane Maureen Cherney

Diane Maureen Cherney

February 6, 1951 - July 17, 2025

Born in 1951 in Winnipeg, Diane had a happy childhood growing up on Scotia Street in West Kildonan.   In the early 1960s, the family moved to East Kildonan where Diane spent her teenage years; she graduated from River East Collegiate with excellent grades, many friends and a bright future. She was a Blue Bomberette, twirled batton, played piano and enjoyed painting.   After high school, she worked as a bank teller for a year to save up for travelling the world.  

During a two-month summer trip to Europe, her adventurous spirit took over, she fell in love with Rome, Italy and ended up living there for about 15 years, working initially as a nanny and taking classes to learn the language.  Eventually she pursued a career as a journalist and then became an English-Italian translator for an international scientific journal.  She made many friends in Rome, travelled extensively throughout Europe and embraced the Italian culture. 

Diane returned to Winnipeg around 1985 but before long she was off again, this time to Vancouver.  During her 25 years in Vancouver, she worked at the Italian Consulate and later at the Elizabeth Bagshaw women’s clinic.

Outside of work, she was interested in contemporary dance and served on the board of Kokora, a renowned dance troupe.   She loved foreign films and volunteered every year at the Vancouver International Film Festival.  She was a dedicated volunteer on political campaigns and always kept up with local, national and international news.  She enjoyed long walks, the arts, and playing tennis. 

Her circle of friends in Vancouver was tight-knit, caring and supportive.  Diane had a way of drawing people to her and making strong and lasting connections.  She valued her friends, always took a genuine interest in other people, treated everyone with kindness and could relate to anyone.  She held strong beliefs in justice and equity and for standing up for the less fortunate.  

In 2011, Diane moved back to Winnipeg to be with family and old friends.  Despite health issues and a particularly challenging struggle with diabetes, she still managed to enjoy the little things of life, like solving puzzles and watching crime shows and mysteries.  She was always an outstanding Scrabble player.  She continued to find joy in connecting with people and making friends. 

Diane is pre-deceased by her parents Mary Olga and Gordon Cherney and survived by siblings Ken and Lois.   The family thanks the dedicated staff at Deer Lodge Hospital for their care and support.  A private family gathering will be held at a later date.