Diane Dadiskos

Diane “DD” Dadiskos, 78, passed away peacefully on January 21st, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Born January 3rd, 1948, in Hartford, Connecticut, to parents John and Barbara Dadiskos (Fox), she married Timothy Fleming in October 1989, and was married for 31 years prior to his passing. She is survived by her brother Chris and Julie Dadiskos, her nieces and nephew, Lynn Wuller, Michele Pasieka, and John Dadiskos, their spouses, and her great-nieces and great-nephews, her godson Douglas Eng, her cousins, and her community of friends, all of whom she loved deeply.

Her life began in the aftermath of World War II, in an era of American exceptionalism. Growing up in Bloomfield, Diane was adored by her parents and admired by her little brother, Christie. Driven by the possibility of her time, Diane chased new opportunities for women and enrolled at the University of Connecticut in 1966. During that time, Diane became a strong advocate for Civil and Women’s Rights. While completing her Master’s Degree in Chinese History, Diane studied abroad in China, and was among the first graduate students to benefit from America’s rapprochement with China. Later, Diane rode with the National Organization for Women by train to champion the Equal Rights Amendment.

There was no challenge Diane could not conquer, and no opinion she shied away from. Among her morals were two pivotal beliefs: that women were unobjectionably equal to men and deserved to be treated as such, and that anyone could elevate themselves through the pursuit of education. Her professional life featured highlights across fields and interests: she taught in the Hartford public schools, earned her real estate broker’s license, founded Integrity Real Estate, became a massage therapist, was an editor of the book Maximum Healing, became a stock-market guru, and assisted in her father’s turf consulting business. A highlight among her accomplishments was building the ‘Green House’ with her father in South Kingston, Rhode Island, a few homes away from where he built his years earlier. And you can’t forget DD’s love of the game Bridge, of which she was an avid player, earning the lauded rank of Bronze Life Master.

As she fearlessly chased her passions, DD met Timmy, a Navy veteran from Vermont with a gruff exterior. Timmy was taken by her mythic levels of determination and bold spirit, and DD knew she found a partner who would never try to dull her shine. Their years together were colorful, in both language and experiences. Dogs were their children of choice, and appropriate companions to two strong individuals with deep capacities for love and kindness.

DD loved her brother and his family, and took great joy in spoiling his children. Her times with Lynn, Michele, and John, were never dull, featuring trips to tropical places, skiing, attending rallies for women’s rights, pulling pranks on one another, making ice cream sundaes, and laughing endlessly at their inside jokes and antics. Later, with her great nieces and nephews, DD continued the spoiling with sleepovers in Glastonbury and breaks at the beach house. She enrolled them in every camp and activity they could dream of, introduced them to Marshalls for back to school, and inspired them to live up to her legacy. 

To know Diane was to be loved by Diane, and her circle friends were her chosen family. She enjoyed her network of friends, as they represented the stages of her life and the connections she made along the way. From her roommates at UConn, to the friends she met throughout her careers, to her students, to her friends from Rhode Island and Florida, DD’s warm and vibrant nature attracted people to her. You could always count on DD for a laugh, a character assessment, unbridled honesty, and a safe place to bear your thoughts.  

It is impossible to completely capture DD’s essence and impact on the people she loved. A ferocity colored her life that not everyone properly understood, because it was not direct for directness’s sake, it was honesty and truth that could only be delivered by someone with a heart as large as hers. She believed completely in people’s potential, and her contribution toward your goal was often integral to your achievement. DD was a force of nature, a strong fighter for her beliefs, and a change-maker in an era of new possibilities. A world without DD is devoid of her amazing wit, comedy, charm, and love, and it will never be properly replaced. DD, say hi to Bear, and know that your legacy will live on for generations in the hearts that you touched.