Diane (Di) Lee Hartel (LaMonico)

July 20th 1946 – January 8th 2023

Diane Lee Hartel (LaMonico) age 76 of Wausau, Wisconsin passed away Sunday morning January 8th in the comfort of her home. She spent her last days surrounded by her devoted family. Her battle with cancer is over and she is now at peace in the arms of the Lord.

Diane was born in San Francisco California and was a lover of classic rock and the blues. She lived in the heart of the music scene during the 60's and early 70's and would fondly reminisce about the greats she had seen, including Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix and Jim Morrison to mention a few. Mom left us on the anniversary of Elvis's birth.

Diane had many talents from gardening, canning and cooking, stemming from her childhood on a California ranch. She also became a self-taught master seamstress at a very young age & later helped her father with his interior & exterior design business in San Jose California. After moving to Wausau, Wisconsin in 1978 and following a career in the real estate business, she & husband, Joe Hartel, launched Interioration, their own interior/exterior design business.

From humble beginnings and hard work, she used her knowledge and talent to quickly become a leader in the preservation & restoration of historical homes & buildings, leaving her mark on some of the "Painted Ladies" in the downtown Historic District of Wausau. Over the years, Diane earned awards from the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation, the Wausau Historic Landmarks Commission and the Wausau Historical Society, of which she was a member for many years.

Diane loved golfing, boating, camping, and winning at cribbage. Music was always her passion, she enjoyed being a longtime volunteer and member of the Great Northern Blues Society. Summer was her favorite time of year and spent much of it outdoors tending her gardens, cooking out, and hosting family & friends in the back yard & gazebo at her historic home. Diane will be greatly missed and remembered by many as a strong, capable & honest woman, not afraid to "tell it like it is".

Diane is preceded in death by her mother Florence and father Matthew. Diane is survived by her daughters Dawn (Rod), Dina and Michelle (Zak), grandchildren, Abel, Oliver and Lilly Ann, sister Sophie, brother Matt, along with many uncles, aunts, cousins, and dear friends.

A celebration of the life of Diane Hartel will be held Saturday February 11th, 10am Visitation,11am Service, at John J. Buettgen Funeral Home, 948 Grand Avenue Schofield Wausau, Wisconsin.