Diane Alice Susan Happonen

HAPPONEN
Diane Alice Susan Happonen (nee Oikonen), aged 79, passed away peacefully after a brief illness at the TBRHSC on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025 with family by her side. Diane was born in Port Arthur on Sept. 3, 1946 and grew up on her family farm in Murillo. In her youth she was an amazing baseball pitcher and loved riding horses. As an adult she was reunited with and able to raise her beloved childhood horse Kitten. She married Osmo Happonen in 1967 and settled in Murillo on a hobby farm where they raised three children. She worked at Boles Feeds as a bookkeeper and finished her working career as a cleaning woman in private homes and offices. For the last 3 years she lived at Roseview Manor. After leaving high school at 16 years old, one of mom's accomplishments was earning her high school diploma in her 50's. Her children and grandchildren were her pride and joy. She had a love of animals and enjoyed gardening, canning, crocheting, card games, music, and dancing. She had a natural talent for drawing and had beautiful penmanship. She was a whiz at math and could add numbers in her head very quickly! Many happy memories were made over the years spending summers camping with their gang of friends. Mom also loved going to the Oikonen family summer camp in English River. Despite her health challenges throughout her adult years, mom was kind, funny, feisty and quick witted. Her SISU saw her through those challenges in her life and in her health. Diane is survived by her children Cheri, Ken (Donna) and Kevin (Nicole), grandchildren Kaylee (Justin), James, Darian, Eryn and Leevi, her sisters Brenda, Shirley (Terry) and Liz (Derrick), sister-in-law Thyra and many cousins, nieces, nephews, friends and relatives. She was predeceased by her husband Osmo, her parents Ahti and Eila Oikonen, her sister-in-law Diana Stachejczuk and brothers-in-law Wayne Happonen and Alex Stachejczuk. A special thank you to the staff at Roseview Manor for their care and compassion over the last 3 years. Thank you to the staff at TBRHSC, especially on 2B, for their exceptional care during mom's final days. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the animal Charity of Your Choice. Arrangements entrusted to Northwest Funeral Alternative. A Celebration of Life will be planned at a later date.

We love you and we will miss you.