Diane L. Papineau

Diane L. (Meyer) Papineau, 83, of Trail Creek, IN passed away Friday, March 27, 2026. A lifelong resident of Michigan City, Diane was born December 29, 1942 in the back bedroom of her grandmother's home on Dupage Street, the firstborn daughter of Marcus C. and Dorothy L. (Leser) Meyer. Diane's birth marked the fifth generation of concurrently living women on her mother's side of the family, following the legacy of Blanche, Celeste, Zelda, and Dorothy.

Diane attended Elston Senior High School where she met her husband, Thomas J. Papineau, of nearly 62 years in Study Hall. Tom would cut holes in his papers to sneak glances at Diane. They were married on May 18, 1964 at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Michigan City. Diane and Tom built their lifelong home in Trail Creek where they raised their two daughters, Tamara and Colleen.

Diane was exceptionally creative and found great joy in various types of crafting, including sewing, painting ceramics, and drawing paper dolls and dresses for her daughters and granddaughter. She was a talented seamstress, having made her own prom dress, multiple costumes for Halloween and talent shows, Christmas dresses, and baby bedding. Diane would design her own patterns to fulfill the vision of what she wanted to create. She took pride in showcasing her beautiful handmade creations in several local craft shows.

Diane's greatest pride, however, came from being a grandma. Affectionately known by her grandchildren as "Nana", she was a constant source of love. She was always available to attend Grandparent's Day celebrations at school, host a sleepover, or lend an ear when you needed to chat. Never wanting to miss a memory, Diane could always be found with a camera or camcorder in her hand and cherished the family home movies she created. Holiday gatherings were always met with a home full of laughter and an abundance of food and gifts. She never forgot a birthday and was known to send greeting cards in the mail for every holiday, including Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Halloween. Diane was everything a grandma should be; warm and welcoming, patient and gentle, fun and wise.

Diane is survived by her husband, Thomas Papineau; daughters, Tamara (Robert) Drake and Colleen (Ken) Morlan; granddaughter, Amanda (Matthew) Murray; grandsons, Brandon Drake, Tyler Morlan and Dakota Morlan; great-granddaughter, Cora Jane; sister, Sundra Bryner; niece, Rhonda (Marc) Chavez; great-nephews, Gavin Chavez and Jack Chavez; a multitude of cousins; and her lifelong best friends, Joyce, Anne, Sharon, Juanita and Marcia. She is preceded by her parents, Marcus and Dorothy Meyer; nephew, Brian Meyer; great-niece, Jocelyn Chavez; as well as aunts and cousins whom she loved dearly.

Private family services will take place with interment at Swan Lake Memorial Gardens in Michigan City, IN.

Contributions in memory of Diane may be given to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or Shriners Children's Hospital.