1935 – 2015

SCARBOROUGH — Diana M. Wiedemann Connell of Norway and Cape Elizabeth passed from this life on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough.

She was born in Bridgton on Feb. 16, 1935, to Lawrence and Edna (Bradford) Lord, and grew up in Bolsters Mills. She was a graduate of Bridgton Academy and Bryant University.

After college, Diana worked as a ticket agent for TWA in New York City. While living in New York, she met Wilbert G. Wiedemann at a folk dance house. They married on May 9, 1959, and made their home in Minneola, N.Y.

In 1968, they moved to Norway, where they owned and operated Harlow’s Gift Shop on Main Street for several years. In the following years, Diana worked at New England Furniture, Bartash Card & Gift and L.M. Longley & Son hardware store, retiring from the latter in 2000.

On March 18, 2000, Diana married Herbert J. Connell of Cape Elizabeth, and they alternated their residence between Cape Elizabeth and Norway.

In her retirement, Diana served as a volunteer at Maine Medical Center, the Root Cellar and as a host on Amtrak’s Downeaster. She was a member of Hosanna New Testament Church in Oxford for many years.

Diana will be most remembered for her kindness and selflessness. Her greatest joy was sharing in the happiness of others. As a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and friend, she was a great example of godliness and goodness.

She is survived by her husband, Herbert, of Cape Elizabeth; three daughters and their husbands, Carolyn and Pete Charlton of Emmaus, Pa., Jan and Nat Buck of Buckfield, and Jill and Michael Dettling of Bridgton; two stepdaughters, Lynn Connell of Bradenton, Fla., and Sharan Connell and Nelson Mundy of Windham; 11 grandchildren, Kris Iwans of Easton, Pa., Mark and Katherine Iwans of Austin, Texas, Carolyn and Sean Lebida of Bowdoin, Jesse and Sara Buck of Buckfield, Curtis and Breanna Buck of Franklin, N.Y., Asa Buck and Levi Buck of Buckfield, Aparna, Alisa, Kamran and Madhura Dettling, all of Bridgton; five great-grandchildren, Kaylee and Natalie Iwans, and Grace, Samuel and Joshua Lebida; a sister, Barbara and Jim Dalgaard of Harrison; and a nephew and three nieces.

She was predeceased by her first husband; a son, Lawrence “Butch” Wiedemann; a granddaughter, Diana Elsie Buck; and a sister, Laurene Mattor.

Online condolences may be shared with her family at www.chandlerfunerals.com.