Judy "Diane" Langill

Judy “Diane” Langill was called home on the 10th of August, 2019. She was 80 years, 1 month, and 7 days old. Diane was our beautiful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Diane was born on July 3rd, 1939 at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. From the day she was born, her family always called her Diane. Diane was the first child of Albert Voumard and Darlene (Hardenbrook) Voumard. She had one sister, Jody Ann.

At the time of Diane’s death, she was the oldest living of the Hardenbrook family. Diane and her mother lived with her mother’s mother, Mary Hardenbrook. They lived with her until the summer of 1957. Grandma Hardenbrook managed a food stand at the Iowa State Fair, which still exists after 106 years. Grandma Hardenbrook had 11 children so Diane never wanted for cousins or friends.

Diane graduated from East High School in 1957. She was a Majorette the entire time that she was in High School, and was the Captain her senior year. After graduation, she was a member of the East High Alumni Association. She lived all of her life in the Des Moines area.

Diane was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just after she graduated from high school. She had this terrible disease for 62 years. It was the reason for many of her numerous health issues, including partial eyesight loss and amputation of her right foot.

Diane met Ray Langill at a Parents Without Partners dance on December 31st, 1980. From that day on they were inseparable and were named “two peas in a pod”. It is hard to determine which of them was pursuing the other the most. Ray would say that they fit together as it was always meant to be. They were married on October 10th, 1981.

Diane worked for the State of Iowa for 30 years, first in the legislature where she was voted the Queen of the Senate. She later transferred to the Department of Revenue where she retired from as an Administrative Assistant in 1995.

Diane loved to dance. Ray and Diane danced disco, ballroom, clog dancing, and country dancing which they competed in and won quite often. They also won a contest – 2 Stepping Across America – with a trip to Nashville that would be nationally televised. They later danced salsa for about three years, then back to country at Denny Arthurs. They would dance as much as 5 nights a week. Ray always called Diane his Goddess or Grandma. He loved her so very much.

Diane so loved her and Ray’s children (3), grandchildren (10), and great-grandchildren (17). A lot of the time, Diane was called Grandma Gummy Bear because she would have them for her special babies.

Diane so loved all her friends and family. More than once people would say, “Do you know and like everybody?” She would answer, “Yes!” She loved life and laughter. She could be heard talking on the phone, continually laughing about things in her day or about family incidents.

When you went to Diane and Ray’s home for dinner, she would have made so much that it was said that she could have fed anyone passing by for the rest of the day. She was a very good cook and loved to prepare meals for friends and family.

Anyone that knew Diane knows she loved Christmas. Ray and Diane decorated their house inside and out with all Christmas decorations. Every room in their house had Christmas decorations including the garage.

Diane will lovingly be remembered by the love of her life, her husband Ray Langill; her two daughters – Tamra Nelson (Kirk) of Altoona and Shelly Sawhill of Des Moines and her son – Rick Langill (Denise) of Des Moines. Tamra has two sons – Carl Nelson of Altoona, and Keith Nelson (Renee) of Altoona and their two sons, Owen and Jack. Shelly has four children – Keri Lamb (Jason) of Altoona and their three daughters, Kaylee, Rylee and Ashlee; Kendra Salow (Greg) of Altoona and their four daughters, Kennedy, Erin, Ireland and Kelsey; Sherah Sawhill (Cody Bullock) of Granger and her children, Alexis, Devan, Daryn and Kaitlynn; and David Sawhill of Des Moines and his two sons, Isaiah and Brody. Rick has four children – Christopher, Zachary, Shelby and Matthew and two grandsons, David and Philip.

She was preceded in death by her infant sister, Jody Ann; her mother, Darlene (Hardenbrook) Tamse and her father, Albert Voumard.

Services will be held at Lutheran Church of the Cross, 1701 8th Street SW, Altoona, IA 50009. Visitation will be from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 20, 2019. Funeral service will begin at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, August 21, 2019. Interment will take place at Rising Sun Cemetery after the funeral.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the family to be distributed to numerous charities that were close to Diane’s heart.

Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

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