Diane Lynn Blackford

Diana Blackford, 78, went home to be with Jesus on Sunday November 8, 2026, following a long-fought battle with declining health. While our hearts are heavy with her absence, we rejoice in knowing that she is fully healed, at peace, and free from the pain that burdened her final years.

Diana met her future husband Carl Blackford at a local Bible Study in Akron Ohio where the Lord brought them together through their shared devotion to their faith. Married in 1978, they had two daughters Abby and Jessica and they built a foundation of love, partnership and faith that sustained them through nearly five decades of life together.

A woman of immense warmth, faith and creativity, Diana worked from home as a childcare provider and a talented silk florist. She took great pride in sharing her faith with the next generation. She taught the daycare children to pray and played worship music on repeat, especially her favorite CD, Ron Kenoly's Lift Him Up, which she played with such joy that she literally wore it out. In her floral work, she delighted in bringing couples' wedding dreams come to life. Her creative legacy lives on through one special bride whom she worked with just weeks before she passed. Together they made her bridal bouquet while Diana passed along some tips and tricks of the trade.

Diana was a nature lover, rescuing many animals over the years, turning some of them into house pets. She enjoyed feeding the birds (and sometimes the squirrels). She spent many hours grooming and playing tug with her beloved Paris- the pitbull and Rusty Bear- a terrier mix.

Famously resourceful, Diana possessed an unmatched knack for fixing things using treasures stashed away in her trusty "might need it" box. This a testament to her ingenuity and practical wisdom, traits that live on through her thrifty daughters.

Her favorite role of all, however, may have been that of "Grandma". She loved spending time with her grandsons and bonus granddaughters playing board games, making cookies, bird watching, and coloring.

She was preceded in death by her parents William & Ileana Rose and brother Harley (Helen) Rose.

She leaves behind a legacy of love through her surviving family: Husband: Carl, Daughters: Abby Wolford (Eric), Jessica (Reuben) Davis, Grandsons: Reuben & Jaxson Davis, Bonus Daughter: Brenna (Jacob) Verdejo, Bonus Granddaughters: Brittany, Demetria, & Evangelize, Pets: Paris and Rusty Bear, and a host of friends and loved ones who have become family. A celebration of Diana's life will be held, details are still being finalized. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in her honor to Grove City Church of the Nazarene (building fund) or to the Grove City Christian School.