Diana Phelps-Wyant

1952 - 2015

Diana Phelps-Wyant (Mary Dianne McGinnity), age 63, passed away peacefully on May 11, 2015 in Norwalk, CT. Born January 19, 1952 in Fargo, North Dakota during a blizzard, which marked the start of a life that could only be described as a whirlwind. Diana grew up in both Boston, MA and Westport, CT before attending Wellesley College. Initially set to clerk for Congress at age 19, she instead opted to become a model - touring the European circuit for nearly 10 years. In her spare time, she owned and operated the stables housing the U.S. national equestrian team, as well as took care of horses belonging to Jackie Onassis (among other notables). Following her modeling career, Diana turned to fashion design. Her line was featured across a number of publications including the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Her career was sidelined when her premiere trunk show was stolen and held for ransom. Unable to meet the demands of the ransom and losing her work, she returned to Europe where she became an integral part of various houses of couture including Madame Gray, Carolina Herrera, and Bernard Tapie. It was during this time in Europe that Diana discovered her natural artistic ability - drawing monuments and various buildings around Paris, France. She created her own greeting card company, Les Collections Diana, with her work recognized by the office of tourism in Paris and named the official artist for the organization. Additionally, she was officially licensed to draw the Opera of Paris, various Fortune 500 companies, and a number of private buildings and residences. Returning to the USA in 1995, Diana produced work for Town and Country Magazine and Saks Fifth Avenue before turning her focus to design and founding The Avenue Gallery in Westport, CT and recently in Norwalk, CT. Since then, the Gallery has grown to be one of the most respected galleries in the Northeast and globally recognized for its design elements, framing, and artwork. Additionally, she and her son, Christopher Wyant founded SoNo Rowing and Kong CrossFit. An avid proponent of fitness and health (as well as a dedicated rowing mom), the endeavors provided a means for her to work in a professional setting with her son and provide mentorship to him. This business relationship would further extend as she provided mentorship in the gallery in recent years. While her professional accomplishments are numerous and great, her lasting impact is the relationships she developed over the years with those who came to her gallery. She is remembered by friends as being a truly courageous and incredible woman with an unwavering spirit and compassion. Despite any setback, she always found a way to be resilient and in doing so inspired those around her. Until her final days, she was described as a warrior with a lion’s heart. Diana is survived by her son Christopher Wyant, her father, Floyd (Dick) Phelps and her loving German Shepherd Luna. Further, she is survived by the countless many that knew her and were inspired by their interactions with her. A memorial service was held for our beloved Diana on Thursday, May 14th from 6 - 9pm at her last curated art show at The Avenue Gallery, 173 Main Street, Norwalk, CT.