Diane E. Lamothe (nee Ryan) passed away at John F Kennedy Medical Center on Friday, May 31, 2024, days from her 75th birthday.  She was born and raised in Newark and resided in Edison for over 40 years.

Diane was predeceased by her beloved husband Donald, her parents Albert and Evelyn Ryan, her brother Albert Ryan and sister-in-law Karen Ryan.

Diane is survived by 15 nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly:  Mark Haney, Hollywood FL; Ellen Nardoni, Somerville NJ; Carol Petrosino, Scottsdale AZ; Janice Miholics (Rob), Southport NC; Mary Kate Haney, Oakland CA; Matthew Haney, Kettering OH; Elaine Haney (Jeb Spaulding), Essex Junction VT;  Thomas Salmon, Red Bank NJ; Mary Grillo (Robert), Barnegat NJ; Kathleen Donato, Palm Coast, FL; William Salmon (Doris), Wilmington NC; Nancy Langan, Indian Land, SC; Terence Salmon (Judy), Verona NJ; Michael Salmon (Anjanette), Cary NC and Albert Ryan Jr (Christine), Bethany CT.   Diane was also the proud great-aunt of 33 nieces and nephews, and great-great aunt of 22.  Diane is also survived by her sister-in-law Irene Salmon and dear friends Erika Hayden, Jane Miller, Judy Marrero, Dolores Frisco and Steve and Rose Czyborra.

Diane worked for the State of New Jersey Civil Service Commission (formerly the Department of Personnel) as a Secretarial Assistant for more than 40 years, retiring in 2005.  She and Donald enjoyed years of happy retirement together, traveling and spending time in New York, a place they both loved so much.

Diane was an animal lover with a special fondness for dachshunds.  She loved chocolate and she put ketchup on just about anything she ate.  She was a Broadway devotee - a passion she inherited from her mother Evelyn, who was a Rockette and a dancer in various Broadway shows and Hollywood movies.  Diane loved her family and friends, and along with Donald, was the heart and soul of our gatherings.  She loved a good story and she told a good story - wherever there was laughter, Diane was at the center of it.  Her sense of fun and quick humor inspired many of our family traditions, and so many of our best and most cherished memories involve her. We will miss Diane and Donald always.

Friends may call on Saturday, June 8, 2024 from 10:00am until time of services at 11:15am at the Flynn and Son/Koyen Funeral Home, 319 Amboy Ave., Metuchen, NJ. Following the 11:15am services, Diane will be laid to rest in Hillside Cemetery, Metuchen. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Diane's memory to the Entertainment Community Fund (https://entertainmentcommunity.org/support-our-work)