Obituary: Diana “Lynn” Davis-Neal

As received from the Jacobson Funeral Home: 

Our dear Diana “Lynn” Davis-Neal passed peacefully from this life into the arms of her Savior on July 24th, 2024 at Canal View SNF in Hancock MI where she lived since 2020.

Lynn, 76, was the daughter of Wallace and Anna Jean Davis. She was born in Harvey and grew up in Dolton and then South Holland, Illinois with her siblings, Dixie, Chris, Mary, Ruth, and John!

She loved ice skating, ballet, skiing, and dancing. Her joy of life inspired her to become a teacher and foster her same love for learning in her young charges. She was an outstanding elementary school teacher who made learning fun! She taught in the Chicago area then moved to Ohio to live with Mary’s family while raising her son Joe. She taught at Ledgemont Elementary School until she retired. Her sister Mary shared, “My sister Lynn was always very creative. Her mind didn’t go to the usual. I eventually gave up asking her to bring a specific dish to a family gathering because she would bring whatever the spirit led! As kids she would transform our basement into “secret lands”, blindfold me and lead me through tunnels and whatever while she narrated what was there.”

This quality made her an amazing teacher throughout her life. She sought and won many grants to enable her to give her students real hands on experiences outdoors in nature, traipsing through marshes and using binoculars! One niece, Becky commented, ” she taught me to love astronomy and whenever I look at the stars I think of her!”. She loved making science come alive! One of her grants enabled her to build a weather station at her school. Another very special project was when she entered her students into a contest to design a logo for a space shuttle component that was made in Ohio. That logo won first place and was printed on the component on the Space Shuttle Columbia. She was given a free trip by NASA to see the launch in Florida and was able to take our mother.

She loved diversity. She created an international festival at her school one year and had many cultures, food, dress, music, and art represented. She even had our mom come dressed in a Norwegian outfit and serve Spritz cookies.

Important accomplishments apart from teaching in her own life… She went to France, she taught English in Columbia and used the Spanish she learned with her students for fun. She mentored homeschooling families and tested their children for the state. She and her son Joe went on two missionary trips, one to Bulgaria and one to Costa Rica, both working with children! She fostered children in her home on occasion to give them a special holiday. She loved art, music, dance, poetry, writing and sharing this with her students.

She was sweet, kind, funny and so compassionate to those less fortunate. However she faced many difficult circumstances in her own life but her faith brought her through and didn’t extinguish her love for life and others.

After her husband WB died she came to live with family in the UP and ended up being cared for at Canal View by so many hardworking caregivers we have grown to love and appreciate. She brightened the atmosphere even there with her laughter, giggles, and kindness. She loved her baby dolls and had them bouncing on her knee and twirling them in the air and had long conversations with them!

She will be so missed.