Diana Deaton

Diana Susan Deaton, age 81, passed away on January 17, 2023, from complications of diabetes and dementia, with her family gathered at her bedside.

Diana was born on October 18, 1941, to Delbert and Dorothy Shanks. She graduated from East High School in 1959, and on October 12, 1960, she married a man she’d had her eye on since grade school, Jack Deaton. They had two children, Susan and Kevin, and built their life together in Des Moines and Pleasant Hill, with a brief pit stop in Arlington, Texas in the early years.

Over the years, Diana had the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom when she wasn’t working as a bookkeeper for Park Fair Mall, Gordon’s Wholesale, or Midland Credit Union. She was fiercely proud of her grandchildren and truthfully, just fierce in general. And we loved that about her!

Her hobbies when she was younger included bowling, selling Avon, and spending her summers at the softball diamonds. She was also an avid fan (and honorary pit crew member) for her son’s and granddaughter’s drag racing events. Later, she enjoyed traveling with her husband, family and friends. She followed all the sports careers of her grandchildren and attended soccer, basketball, cheerleading, volleyball and baseball games whenever possible. Other favorite things were chatting on the phone almost every night with her sister, and the weekly Deaton Family Night Out on Wednesdays. She was also a gun enthusiast and was adamant about renewing her carry permit. Her favorite field trips were to Dollar General (aka “DG” for the hard-core fans).

She is survived by her husband, Jack; her children, Susan (Ricky) Bergsieker and Kevin (Lori) Deaton; three grandchildren, Brett (Lindsay) Bjorkquist, Scott (Elyse) Bjorkquist, and Dani (Joey) Deaton; four great-grandchildren, Jack, Milo, Flynn, and Nicholas; her sister, Michelle Beckett; and her best buddy, Bo (the dog).

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Larry Shanks, and three beloved four-legged friends, Dutchess, Penny, and Sam.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to these organizations on behalf of her grandchildren – Owatonna Christian School in Owatonna, MN or the local multiple sclerosis (MS Moments) organization in Des Moines.

Public visitation will be held from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., with family present from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Sunday, January 22, 2023 at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street, Des Moines. Funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. Monday, January 23, 2023, also at Hamilton’s, and will be followed by burial at Oakwood Cemetery. There will be a celebration of life luncheon in the community room at the funeral home after the burial, beginning at approximately 1:00 p.m.

Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

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