Diane Kohler-Rausch, age 76, a resident of Wheaton, IL, passed away, peacefully at home on Thursday, November 23, 2023.  She was born March 29, 1947, at Mount Sinai hospital in Chicago to Frank and Bonnie Stopa.

Diane grew up in Berwyn, IL. She attended Morton East High School. She received her Bachelor's from University of Illinois-Chicago with a concentration in Psychology.

Diane met her husband Mario while volunteering at MacNeal Hospital during their university years.  They were married on 8/13/69 until Mario's passing in January of 2019.  Little did they know, they both were Morton East alumni and instantly connected.  They grew together to live out a life of raising two sons and traveling the world. They traveled to an estimated seventy countries with a particular affinity to travel by boat.

Diane had worked for several companies over the years.  She worked for Northwestern Railroad, Entergy, CNA, and her longest employment at The Joint Commission.  Her best friends came from The Joint Commission, and she considered several of her former co-workers family members.  Her roles in any company were secretarial and always the go-to person for solutions.  She was a team player and optimism was her initial instinct to any problem.

She retired to continue her travels and enjoy her family. On top of her expeditions, she enjoyed gardening, learning, and communicating with her family and friends.

Diane's contributions to society are not listed in achievements and awards but in people themselves. She was always a constant font of information and advice.  Diane's direction and prudent approach to life led others.  When individuals thought there was no path to success, she would shine a light onto paths unseen.

Diane began having complications in the beginning of 2023. It was not until October of 2023 she and her family learned she had a rare terminal cancer called Amyloidosis.

She is survived by her sons, Paul and Michael Kohler-Rausch, along with their respective spouses, Andrea and Elizabeth. Her cherished five grandchildren, Alice, Robert, Emma, Claire, and Sophie, as well as her brother Bill and niece Ashley, continue to honor and remember her legacy.

A memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, December 9, 2023, from 2:00 until 5:00 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., Wheaton, followed by a memorial service at 5:00.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Petronille Catholic Church, 420 Glenwood Ave, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137, on Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.

There will also be a ceremony at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery for Diane to join Mario on Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 12:00 Noon.

Diane loved flowers, thus they will be welcome, however, in lieu of flowers, the family strongly encourages donations in Memoriam to the food pantry/church Diane volunteered at. https://www.theoutreachhouse.org/financial-giving-1