Diane Althoff Love passed away on April 29, 2021 at the age of 79. Throughout her long and happy life, Diane was a voracious reader, engaging and at times hilarious storyteller, and a deeply committed wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. The second of two daughters, Diane was born in Painesville Ohio to Carl Althoff, a chemist who was working on government contracts during the Second World War, and Nell Harshman Althoff, a woman who had the smarts and sassy wit of Katherine Hepburn. After the death of Diane’s father in 1943, when she was only two, the family moved to Rock Island, Illinois, where her mother started a forty year career teaching first grade in the public school system.
After graduating from Rock Island High School, Diane attended the University of Illinois where she met Ken Love, her husband for almost sixty years. They had a fun and action-packed life together while living in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Miami, and Wilton, Connecticut. Diane was a skillful and at times a fearless cook and by the mid-1970s a committed foodie. Her dinner parties were legendary. Diane and Ken’s many trips together were focused on the local restaurant scene as much as sightseeing and culture. More recently, they split their time between Naples, Florida and Lincolnville Beach, Maine. They made both homes welcome destinations for their grown sons and their wives and children. In each place where they lived, they added to their diverse collection of close friends.
Beyond her family and close friends, Diane maintained an active social life as an avid bridge player and as a member of a long succession of bridge clubs. In addition, she was active in a wide range of social and philanthropic organizations, including the Mt. Lebanon (PA) Junior Woman’s Club, where she was a co-founder in 1968, the Phi Phi Alumni Association, the Camden (ME) Yacht Club, and the Moorings Golf and Country Club in Naples.
In addition to her husband Ken, Diane leaves behind two sons, their wives, and children: Tim and Mimi Love of Boston, Massachusetts and their children Sofia and Nico; and Todd and Kristy Love of Clearwater Beach, Florida, and their children Jenna, Travis, Griffin, and Reef. Diane’s warmth, humor, and grace will be sorely missed by all those who loved her and counted on her for advice, comfort, and companionship, whether for a few hours at a time or for most of a lifetime.
In memory of Diane, consider making a contribution to the Avow Hospice in Naples: https://avowcares.org/donate-now/
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