Dianne Banta Shelly

Dianne Banta Shelly, 79, of Tunkhannock, Pa., passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania on Nov. 30, 2022, after a tremendous battle with multiple illnesses, including COVID.

Dianne was born at Nesbitt Memorial Hospital, Kingston, on June 23, 1943. She attended Bladensburg High School in Bladensburg, Md., graduating in 1960. She went on to nurse's training at the Sibley School of Nursing in Washington, D.C., where she became an RN and began an extensive career in a profession she loved.

Dianne's career in nursing included working at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., supervising at Abington Hospital near Philadelphia and Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre, and teaching LPN courses at Elk Lake.

But it was as the manager of her husband's, Dayton Shelly's surgical practices in both North Carolina and Pennsylvania where she finished her career in nursing. She loved working side by side with her husband to provide the best care possible for their patients.

In addition to her work as a nurse, Dianne volunteered extensively in the community throughout the years, including leading a group in implementing health curriculum in the school district, organizing and running Teddy Tyler tours for school-aged children, working with the Tyler Hospital Women's Auxiliary, and starting a teen center in downtown Tunkhannock.

Dianne Shelly will be remembered in all capacities for her relentless pursuit of achieving her goals, her flair for persuasion, her often disarming bluntness, and her complete adoration of her family, especially her grandchildren. As a community member, a friend, a grandmother, a cousin and a mother, Dianne will be missed.

She is survived by her son, Lee Shelly, and his wife, Laura, of Lansdale; her daughter, Melissa Shelly Kandrovy and partner, Joe Fasano, of Tunkhannock; and her four grandchildren, David Shelly, Morgantown, W.Va.; Logan Dianne Kandrovy, Washington, D.C.; Jillian Shelly, Lansdale; and Dayton Kandrovy, Tunkhannock.

So many of us have Dianne stories and we would love for you to share yours. Friends and family, please join us on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. at 19 Susquehanna Ave., Tunkhannock, to share memories of the force of nature that was Dianne.

Arrangements and care entrusted to Sheldon-Kukuchka Funeral Home, 73 W. Tioga St., Tunkhannock, Pa. 18657. A scholarship that Dianne began in her husband's name and has supplemented throughout the years is now in her honor too.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dianne and W. Dayton Shelly Memorial Scholarship c/o the Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains at 270 Lake Ave., Montrose, PA 18801, https://community-foundation.org.

Please visit the funeral home website to share memories or extend condolences.