DIANE C. KETTERER

DIANE CORA KETTERER (nee Hopkins) age 88

Diane C. Ketterer finished her courageous battle with leukemia very early the morning of Thursday, August 14, 2025. Like any important challenge she faced in life, it was an epic fight. Born May 18, 1937, she was the oldest of three children. She was raised alongside her sister, Joan (deceased), and brother, Thomas (Sharlene), in the West Park neighborhood in Cleveland, OH. She graduated from St. Patrick West Park grade school and St. Joseph Academy high school (‘55).

She married her high school sweetheart, Willam (Bill), at just 19 years old and immediately started their family in Lakewood, OH. Over the years the Ketterer family lived in West Park (Cleveland), Rocky River and most recently, Westlake. They were longtime parishioners of several Catholic churches: Our Lady of Angels in West Park; St. Christopher in Rocky River; St. Ladislas in Westlake; and Our Mother of Sorrows, in Put-in-Bay.She was the loving mother of three children: Kimberley (Dennis), Mark (Jacqueline), and Jeffrey (Mary Colleen). The loving grandmother of nine; Ryan (Heather), David (deceased), John, Jeffrey (Jennifer), Christopher (Stephanie), Erin (deceased), Samantha, Jane, and Jacob; and loving great-grandmother of four; Owen, Liam, Bentley, and David.. She was also the loving aunt and great-aunt to many nieces and nephews in Ohio; Jason, Amy, and Matthew, and the “California Ketterers” on the West Coast.

Professionally, Diane had a key interest and affinity for healing and healthcare. That interest led her to pursue a career in nursing. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Cleveland State University. She was one of their earliest graduates in the Registered Nursing (RN) program. Her nursing career brought her to different hospitals in the Cleveland area including: Metro Health Medical Center; Lutheran Medical Center; and her most-fulfilling, Lakewood Hospital Office on Aging. She served voluntarily for several healthcare organizations including Fairview General Hospital (Women’s Auxiliary) and on the Board of Directors for the Renaissance Center in Olmsted Falls, OH in its formative years.Diane enjoyed traveling, golfing, and boating with her husband. They were longtime members of Lakewood Country Club in Westlake, OH as well as members of the Put-In-Bay Yacht Club and The Crews’ Nest on South Bass Island. For 42 years they owned a lakefront cottage, “The Witch’s Castle”, in Put-In-Bay. They developed a beloved community of friends on “The Island” as they created memories each summer season.For Diane, family was an especially important aspect, value, and priority. It is where the essence of life started, was nourished, and valued accordingly. She will be missed and remembered always as a strong, classic American matriarch - leaving her mark on and a legacy in - the world as a blessed child of God.  2 Corinthians 5:8

A Funeral Mass will be held at a later date in the Fall. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Monastery of the Poor Clares, 3501 Rocky River Drive, Cleveland, OH 44111 or the Leukemia Research Foundation at 

https://leukemiarf.org/