Diane S. Tredway

Diane Suzette Tredway performed the last act of her wonderful life Monday afternoon, November 27, 2023. At the age of 77, Diane died peacefully in the remarkable care of Hospice of Northwest Ohio in Perrysburg.

She was born in Toledo on December 10, 1945, during a time of great optimism following the end of World War II. She grew up on the idyllic Tredway Homestead in a beautiful Victorian farmhouse off of Sylvania-Metamora Road at the Fulton-Lucas County line. The oldest child of Kent and Theresa Tredway, she was joined by brothers Duane and Jan Tredway, and sisters Judi Langenderfer and Rosemary Gillen.

She graduated from Metamora High School and went on to get a bachelor’s degree from University of Toledo. Diane spent much of her adult life on the family farm, and at times struggled to overcome mental health challenges. She had a varied employment history, from cocktail waitress to cashier. She is also remembered during this time as an eccentric but extremely caring, often doting aunt by her nieces Michela and Ally Agoglia, Lara Eisel and Liza Gleckler, and her nephew Cody Tredway. They could rely on Aunt Diane to raise their blood sugar levels with treats she brought back from her shifts at Meijers. Aunt Diane was also known to them for her unrelenting love of cats, who seemed to respond in kind to her warmth.

Diane entered a new and very dynamic phase of life after she moved to her apartment in Holland, Ohio. Her flair for interior design, gardening and personal fashion was vividly on display there. She learned French, became a fan a French cinema, and loved discussing current events. Ahead of her time perhaps, she anticipated years ago the coming legalization of marijuana in Ohio, and occasionally partook of its offerings. It was wonderful to see her flourish during this period, building on a life that maintained her commitment to being her own, sometimes wildly individualistic, but always gentle, self.

She was blessed over the years with deep and meaningful friendships. These included the late Renee, and Louise Westland, whose visits to Diane while in hospice had a transformative and uplifting effect.

Diane ultimately succumbed to lung cancer. But as a lifetime smoker, she never saw herself as a victim. Instead, she took responsibility for her life choices, and perhaps because of that gained a genuine level of acceptance and peace with her fate in the end. Her brother Jan, who was by her side almost every day of late, and her sister Rose, played especially heroic roles in loving and supporting Diane through her illness. They feel comfortable saying that in the end, she was well loved, and that she loved us.

The family asks that should anyone wish to honor Diane’s incredible life, that they consider making a donation to Hospice of Northwest Ohio. This non-profit provider of end-of-life care is inhabited by angelic beings whose commitment to the dignity of patients is unwavering. Diane was very fortunate to be one of them. https://www.hospicenwo.org/forms/donate-online-today/