Diane Cusson

HARDWICK - I, Diane (Hanson) Cusson, 72, grew up in East Hampton, CT., a small rural town and died on May 27,2015. I met my husband, Kenneth "Ken" Cusson, in Manchester, CT.. I graduated from Manchester High School, Class of 1960. While Ken was home on leave in 1963 from the Air Force, he called me. We started dating and I wrote daily letters. I dedicated "Since I Fell for You" by Lenny Welch to him on radio station WDRC in Hartford. He could pick up the station while at Loring Air Force Base in Maine. I got a phone call on New Year's Eve of that year and he proposed marriage. We got married on June 13, 1964 and have been partners and friends for 51 years. We went back to Maine for our honeymoon in my 1954 red Chevrolet with $50.Besides my husband, I leave two sons, Mathew and Mark of Southington,CT. and three granddaughters, Theresa, Sydney and Stephanie and a grandson, Nicholas. I also leave two sisters, Suzanne Paracino of Manchester, Conn. and Paulette and brother-in-law, Fred Sherman of NY and several nieces and nephews. I became involved with PTA, Scouts and sports. I always sent my sons to school with homemade lunches and attended their sport and school events. I was involved with the area voc tech school and served as vice chair of the PTA. I helped with the family income by working for an eye doctor and other jobs including personnel director at Cheney Brothers and payroll at Manchester Memorial Hospital. I was the last person working when Cheney Brothers closed its doors. In 1994, after Ken retired from the Manchester Fire Department, we moved from Conn. to Hardwick. We cleared land, built a barn and house. Together, we moved rocks on our StoneyField Farm. We raised chickens and cows, grew vegetables and berries. When I heard about the Barre Farmers' Market, we joined other local farmers, producers and crafts people every Saturday morning during spring through early fall on Barre Common. I loved meeting all the people at the farmers' market. It was more about the socialization than the money. I also worked at the Hardwick Post Office and other post offices as postmaster relief and as a poll worker. I got to know many people and remembered their names, weddings, children's name and even grandchildren's name. I grew up as an Episcopalian, but I converted to Catholicism ten years ago. I served Christ as a lectern, on the parish wide committee, Eucharistic minister, worked on suppers and church fairs at St. Thomas-a-Becket Church in South Barre. Here, I found my church family. A highlight of my life was a pilgrimage to Rome with a South Carolina Diocese. I had the privilege of giving the first and second readings at St. Peter's Basilica. Ken and I had a private audience with Pope Benedict. We tried to take two trips a year and traveled to Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii for one of the trips as well as on many cruises. We loved to visit churches and chapels. Our most recent cruise, this year, was to the Caribbean. It was one of the best. I loved meeting new people on the trips and kept in touch with many.I also loved gardening, animals, baking and sharing homemade cookies, jams, eggs and vegetables with people. I believed in sharing and did the little things like clipping coupons for a friend or baking cookies for someone. I want to thank my doctors especially the team at Dana Farber in Boston and the Barre Health Center for their wonderful care, the hospice staff, my church for its support, Father James Callahan, Deacon Bill Ferrarone and his wife, Karen and of course, my soul mate, Ken.The funeral Mass for Diane will be held on Saturday, June 6,2015 at10:00AM in St.Thomas A Becket Church Vernon Ave S.Barre. Burial will follow in Hardwick Center Cemetery. Calling hours will be held on Fridayfrom 6-8PM in Pillsbury Funeral Home 96 S.Barre Rd. Barre. Donations may be made in her name to the St. Francis of Assisi Capital Fund Drive PO Box 186 S.Barre,MA.01074.Please visit:Pillsburyfuneralhome.com