~~ Diane E. Herb, 80, passed away on Thursday, April 24, 2014, at Wheaton Franciscan Hospital-All Saints, with her loving family at her side. She was born in Alpha, MI on May 23, 1933, the daughter of the late Gordon and Della (nee: LaVoy) Hayward. She was united in marriage to Herbert Herb on June 28, 1958, at St. Mary Catholic Church, Florence, WI. Diane received her Masters of Theology from St. Francis Seminary in 1989 and served as Director of Religious Education at St. Edward Catholic Church. Earlier in her career, she was an English and Social Studies teacher and librarian in Appleton, Bonduel and Racine. In recent years, Diane became a member of Sacred Journey's Spiritual Community and the A.A.U.W. She was actively involved with Maya Works and committed to working for peace and social justice. Surviving are her devoted husband, Herb; their children Gary (Cindy) Herb, Paula (Scott) Fiorita, Allison (Paul) Commodore, all of Racine; Lauren (David) Schudson, of Waukesha; grandchildren Christopher and Holly Commodore, and Nico Schudson; and sister, Karen (Kenneth) Shimabukuro, of Alexandria, VA. Her nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends also survive her. In addition to her parents, Diane was preceded in death by her daughter, Sharon Herb, in 1985. While at the seminary, Diane wrote a paper on "Coping with the Death of An Adult Child," now used there for teaching purposes. She is also a published author of several homilies. Diane had many interests including classical music and playing piano, ballroom dancing, playing bridge, golfing and cheering on the Packers. Her funeral service will be held at the funeral home on Tuesday, April 29th, at 6:30 p.m. Visitation will be at the funeral home on Tuesday from 4:30 p.m. until the time of the service. Private burial will take place at Graceland Cemetery. The family has suggested memorials to Maya Works, which empowers indigenous women of Guatemala to achieve economic security ( www.mayaworks.org ), or to your favorite charity.