Council honours dedicated, insightful, active volunteer

At Monday’s council meeting, Coun. Sandra O’Connor asked condolences be expressed to the family of Diane Jeannine Neilson Moreau (Hemmings) who passed away on Feb. 3.

She told councillors Diane had been a resident in Niagara-on-the-Lake and an active volunteer in town since 2008, chairing both the highly successful town Communities in Bloom Committee, and the NOTL Horticultural Society.

She was a member of a long list of organizations in NOTL, including the Newcomers Club board, Music Niagara board, Shaw Guild, the Garden Club of Niagara, Bacchus Group member, the Lyndesfarm Board, the NOTL Museum board, a member of the Friends of Fort George, and enjoyed participating in a current affairs group, a knitting group, a book club and a mahjong group.

Diane received her R.N in 1966, O’Connor said, her B.N. in 1970, and her M.Sc. N. in 1975 at McGill University.

She was the first psychiatric nurse to publish her research with her colleague doctors at medical conventions around the world; she was a psychiatric nursing consultant with several medical institutions, and on the teaching staff at various universities in three countries. She was asked to be a member of the health services steering committee in 2014, and taught at Brock University in three faculties, said O’Connor.

“Diane’s volunteer ethic was exemplary, her well-tempered style of engagement and her intelligent recommendations for preferred objectives were well received,” she said, adding Diane became a true friend to many in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and never said no when asked for help.”

Everyone who knew Diane, says O’Connor, “appreciated her dry wit and sense of humour, her sensible approaches, her insightful suggestions and her incisive decision-making skills. Diane will be sincerely missed.”

Councillors agreed to send an expression of gratitude for Diane’s work for Niagara-on-the-Lake, and had a minute of silence to remember her before proceeding with the meeting.