Diane Black McDonough

Diane Norman Black McDonough, 82, of Norfolk, Virginia passed away peacefully on May 10, 2025, embraced in the love of her family and friends. Diane was a native of Norfolk. She attended Holy Trinity Catholic School and was a 1960 graduate of Granby High School, where she met her husband of 63 years, Joe. Although an Ocean View girl who spent most of her life in Norfolk, Diane also lived in Washington, DC; Columbia, MD; Chesterfield, VA; and Kill Devil Hills, NC. She held several positions in retail and marketing and retired as a sales representative for AT&T.
Diane loved Whalebeet, her cottage on the Outer Banks, where she enjoyed spending time with family and friends, playing in the ocean, gardening, and watching sunsets from the top of Penny's Hill and the shores of Kitty Hawk Bay. Although she often joked that if a dish had more than three ingredients she wasn't interested, Diane was the consummate hostess of Thanksgiving dinner for over 60 years, and no one ever left hungry. She made a lifetime of memories, skiing in the Northeast and Rockies, riding a mule to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, going on road trips with her "posse," ballooning with her sister in Colorado, sailing, and traveling to beautiful destinations like Spain, Alaska, Hawaii, Scandinavia, Russia, Morocco, Canada, Italy, Mexico, Germany, Scotland, and Ireland. But nothing rivaled being back at Whalebeet, watching the sun sink over the sound and listening to the breeze through the live oaks, surrounded by family and friends. She loved her morning coffee and a good stiff drink in the evening, and she was always game for an adventure. May her next great adventure be the finest of all.
Diane was preceded in death by her parents, Donald Charles and Agnes June Black and sister, Tamma Melissa Black.
She is survived by her husband Joseph B. McDonough III; son, Joseph C. McDonough (Alix); twin daughters, Tara L. McDonough (William); Tamma McDonough Merritt (Roger); granddaughters, Hunter McDonough and Logan McDonough; and beloved extended family.
A celebration of Diane's life will be held at Altmeyer Funeral Home - Southside Chapel on Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 1:00. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the McDonough Family Walk to End Alzheimer's team at http://act.alz.org/goto/mcdsendalz. Condolences may be left online at www.altmeyerfh.com To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Diane Black McDonough, please visit our floral store.