Diane Chalice Englund

Diane was born December 6, 1955 in Washington, D.C., the beloved first child of John Edward Bartsch and his wife Louise, the former Louise Chalice Meikle. A resident of Cape Coral for over 25 years, Diane passed away on May the 21st, 2015. Her early childhood years were spent in transit with her parents to various U.S. Air force base stations across Florida, Texas and Mississippi; her father, Jack, was an AF Captain jet pilot instructor. Upon her father's discharge, she and the family moved to Falls Church VA for five years. There she attended the Fairfax Brewster school and was the star in the school's annual play which was named after her, "Diane's Dream." In 1964 the family was transferred by IBM to Ft. Lauderdale, where Diane attended Stranahan High School, graduating with honors in the top 5% of her class. She was also featured in "Who's Who in American High Schools." While in Ft. Lauderdale, she became a member of All Saints Episcopal Church and was confirmed in that church with her sisters, Carol and Elizabeth. She and her sisters sang in the church choir, and were actively involved in the Episcopal Youth Group called "Collage." She attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas Texas before returning to Florida where she met and married Jeffery Englund. She gave birth in Gainesville to her first child, Jean in 1982, and when the family moved to Ormond Beach, another daughter was born in 1985 she named Lizan. She moved to Cape Coral in the late '80s where both of her daughters graduated from Mariner High School in Cape Coral. Diane was a traveler by birth, and in high school was one of the stars of the Thornton Wilder Play "The Happy Journey," performing as the ingénue. The play, which took her across many European countries, was sponsored by the U.S. State Department to foster international good will. Over the years she visited the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park, as well as New York City, New Orleans, Atlanta and Washington D.C. With the family she vacationed all over the Caribbean, Bermuda and Mexico, scuba diving and making friends wherever she went. Diane was a wonderful, loving mother, a soccer mom, a UF Gator mom, and "Mama D" to all her daughters' friends. Her cooking skills were legendary and she loved sharing her "old Country" German recipe secrets with family and friends. Love of Country, family and the great outdoors were her passion, she was an extrovert who never met a stranger. She loved to play guitar for relaxation and even wrote songs, poems and short stories. Several of Diane's works were published in a 2012 collection with various other authors. She was a longtime volunteer at Habitat for Humanity in Cape Coral and tutored young girls wanting to obtain their GED as she loved to teach. She freely gave of herself to those less fortunate without reservation. Diane was not only a friend on whom you could depend she could add life and sparkle to any occasion. She was loved by all who ever knew her. Diane is survived by her mother, Louise Chalice Redner, Ormond Beach, her two daughters, Jean Chalice Englund, Ft. Lauderdale, and Lizan Michelle Englund, Cape Coral, her grandchildren Mia Anne and Jack Alan Krieg, Cape Coral, her two sisters, Carol Jean Bartsch, Orlando, and Elizabeth Anne Bartsch, Ft. Lauderdale, and her niece Chalice Louise Bartsch-Bailley, Charlotte, NC. A private memorial service is being planned by her immediate family. Contributions in her memory may be made to the charity of your choice. Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cape Coral, is entrusted with final care.