Diane Hilyard Houston
April 1, 1947 - October 14, 2025
Diane Hilyard Houston was born in Lincoln, on April 1, 1947, to Harold and Leola (Stimbert) Hilyard. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Denny.</p
Diane is survived by her husband, Richard Houston, whom she married on September 4, 1988, in Maryville, MO.</p
Diane was a loving mother and stepmother to Debbie (Tom) From, Lisa Drummond, Jeanie (Jeff) Webster, Randy Houston, and Connie (Kody) Kline.</p
Diane loved children, especially her grandchildren, step-grandchildren and the next generation of great grandchildren. She was a proud grandmother to Corey From, Brady (Cassondra) From, and Matthew Drummond; step-grandmother to Brian (Alyissa) Webster, Travis (Darci) Webster, Calvin (Kate) Webster, Hannah Webster, Marissa Houston, Cole (Kindra) Houston, Alyssa (Blake) Barron, and Megan (Jonathan) Downing.</p
Gram Gram/GiGi was cherished by her great grandchildren: Madilynn From, Kyler From, Archer Webster, Freya Webster, Leo Webster, Dinah Webster and Penny Downing.</p
Diane graduated from Northwest Missouri State University. She served as Director of the Maryville Public Library from 1979 to 2009, where she played an instrumental role in the library's expansion and renovation from 1996 to 2001. Her leadership, dedication, and vision left a lasting impact on the library and the community it serves.</p
After her retirement, Diane dedicated her time to volunteering with the New Nodaway Humane Society, where she found joy in caring for animals and supporting their mission. She especially loved spending time with her beloved pets, Murphy and Tucker, and traveling.</p
Diane was a lifelong Nebraska Cornhusker fan and attended football games every season. She also loved to cheer on the Chiefs and the Royals.</p
Diane was a member of AAUW, the First Methodist Church, and the First Christian Church. She also served as a past P.E.O. Chapter HT president, a member of the New Nodaway Humane Society Board of Directors, and as secretary for the Second Century Library Foundation Fund/Maryville Public Library.