An incredibly strong woman, beloved partner, and best friend, Diane M. Cummings left this Earth in the arms of her loved ones on April 10, 2025, after several years of failing health.
Diane was born in Pittsfield on September 11, 1959, to Gerald and Gloria (Calderone) Cummings and graduated from Lee High School.
On Memorial Day 1981, Diane and Bill went on their first date. What started as a spark became a fire that never faded. Bill owned several businesses, and with Diane working by his side, they gave Berkshire County The Five Chairs, North Lenox Car Wash, and Lenox Trucking Inc. Diane and Bill lived on idyllic Yokum Pond in Becket, where she gardened and shoveled snow. She loved their dachshunds and playing Scrabble and Cribbage and Pitch with her mother and friends. Holiday dinners were always a feast, and Diane’s beautiful crafts adorn the necks, ears, and wrists of all her friends and family.
Diane had a heart of gold, always there to lend a helping hand. She rescued her mother, flying her on a medical flight from Florida, and took her in to care for her until her death. “Diane was always there for me, steadfast and true, the best friend anyone could ever wish for,” says Diane’s friend. Please remember her as the joyful, caring, and loving woman she was, and raise a glass of peach tea (with a splash of vanilla vodka) in her honor.
Diane’s friends and family send their thanks to her caregivers, especially Megan, Lisa, Ellen, and Kathy.
Diane leaves the love of her life, William A Vahle; Bill’s family, including Will Vahle, her fiercest advocate; and Cathy (David) Fields of Naples, Fla., her best friend of 50 years.
“Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure. You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure” — unknown
A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 1 p.m., in St. Ann Cemetery. To share memories and stories, please visit the website of Roche Funeral Home.
