Diane Karen McSpedon

Diane Karen McSpedon, 80, of Ridgefield, died after valiantly raging against the dying of the light on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, of congestive heart failure. Although buoyed and consoled by her great religious faith, she very much wanted to stay a bit longer with her loved ones here on Earth.
Diane was born Diane Karen Dagnall on September 24, 1943, in Manhattan, NY as the middle child of John Michael Dagnall and Nora Alice Dagnall (nee Daly).
Gentle and exceedingly kind, there was very little that Diane did not excel in. Extremely intelligent, beautiful and possessing an amazing vocal talent, she was most dedicated to her Roman Catholic faith; so much so, she considered life in a religious order as a nun. But God had other plans for His child.
Diane met the love of her life, William McSpedon, in high school in Yonkers, New York. She would often wait on the stoop of her house for him to casually walk by so she could coyly ignore him. Apparently her antics worked, as he would often borrow his sister's car to visit her in Pennsylvania as she attended Mount Aloysius College, where she obtained her Associate Degree.They went on to marry in October 1964.
A longtime resident of Pound Ridge, New York, Diane built her home with Bill and his crazy ambitions from the ground up, and raised seven children in the "middle of nowhere", despite not driving. All her skills and talents were spent giving everything of herself to create a welcoming home and raising happy, kind children in the faith that was the cornerstone of her existence. She would use her imagination and innate talents to procure everything her children needed, from Science Fair projects, Halloween costumes, items for Christmas pageant rehearsals, to delicious home-made meals whipped up from leftovers, rides to sporting events, and eventually moves to college and abroad. Such was her genuine warmth and love, she often housed many friends of her children for entire Summers. Ironically, despite her introverted nature, she was happiest surrounded by the love and chaos of friends and family.
Diane's move to Ridgefield, Connecticut fifteen years ago afforded her the opportunity to further expand her faith at Christ The King Church, a parish in the pre-Vatican II Latin tradition. She treasured her time spent there with fellow parishioners and priests, especially Father Violette and Father McLucas. Words can not express the comfort they provided to her during her times of grieving the losses of her children and husband.
Diane is survived by her children: Dane McSpedon and his wife, Geraldine; Jennifer Foley and her husband, Daniel; Laura Scanlon and her husband, Michael, and Mary Cordtz and her husband, Jared. Diane is also survived by 14 grandchildren: Kayla, Sinead, Liam, Nora, Madelynn, Charlotte, Abigail, Teague, Ethan, Christian, Dermot, Noelle, Finnegan and Joshua, as well as a sister, Leslie Dagnall, and two sisters-in-law, Mame Corio and her husband, Greg, and Kathy Ferrari.
In addition to her parents, Diane was predeceased four months prior to her death by her loving husband of 59 years, William; sons, Bill and John McSpedon; and her daughter, Kimberley McSpedon. She was also predeceased by her brother, Dane Dagnall, sister-in-law, Barbara Dagnall, and nephew, Dane Dagnall, Jr.
In accordance with her wishes, a private Requiem Funeral Mass was celebrated in her honor on Friday, August 2, 2024, at Christ The King Church. Interment followed in Gate of Heaven Cemetery; Hawthorne, NY.
It's difficult to capture such a rare and kind creature in words. An extremely well-read woman, champion Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit and crossword player, she took greatest pride in living her life in the tradition of her role model, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower, who famously wrote, "Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that you do with love." An amazing cook who strove to perfect her family's favorite dishes as acts of love - it is unfathomable to imagine not eating her homemade turkey gravy or one of her meatballs again! Her kindness and gentle ways are sorely missed by all those who interacted with and loved her dearly.
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