Diane Armstrong

Diane P. Armstrong, of Perrysburg, passed away in her home on July 13, 2015, following a lengthy medical condition. She was 66. Diane was born on September 16, 1948, in New Kensington, PA, to Ken and Jean (Everhart) Pethick. She attended nearby Lower Burrell High School and participated in the Future Teachers of America, Girls Athletic Association, Humanities Seminar, majorettes, and literary staff. She was inducted into the National Honor Society in 1965 and graduated in 1966. Following graduation, she enrolled at Slippery Rock State College in Pennsylvania and majored in mathematics and then English. She served on the president’s council and was president of the college’s Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority chapter. During summer breaks from college, she worked at a local camp for kids and met fellow Slippery Rock student Chuck Armstrong. The couple was married on January 17, 1970, in Lower Burrell, PA. Diane’s lifelong passion was teaching, and upon graduating from Slippery Rock in 1970, she began her 42-year career in education at North Allegheny High School near Pittsburgh, PA. In addition to teaching English at the high school, she directed the yearbook staff and coached the girls track and cross country teams to several state championships. Several years later, she became one of the first women inducted into the Western Pennsylvania High School Coaches Hall of Fame. In 1977, Diane and Chuck moved to Perrysburg to pursue work and post-graduate opportunities. At the University of Toledo, Diane studied curriculum and instruction, with a focus on reading, and completed her PhD in 1983. She taught classes at Owens Community College for several years and then became a professor of education at Heidelberg University in Tiffin in 1987. Diane spent the remaining 25 years of her career at Heidelberg, serving as professor, Chair of the Education Department, and Director of the Graduate Program in Education. She earned the University’s first distinguished teaching award in 1996. After retiring in 2012, she continued to enjoy reading, traveling to the mountains and beach, spending time with her loved ones, cuddling with her golden retrievers Tucker and Riley, and being a first-time grandma. Diane will be greatly missed by her husband of 45 years, Chuck; daughter and son-in-law Kristie and Justin Badik and granddaughter Raegan, of Fremont, OH; daughter Kelly Armstrong, of New York, NY; brothers David (Pam) Pethick and Richard Pethick; sister Laurie (Tim) Brugger; and many nieces, nephews, friends, and former students. She was preceded in death by her parents Ken and Jean. Friends are invited to visitations at the Witzler-Shank Funeral Home (222 E. South Boundary St. in Perrysburg) on Saturday, July 18, 2015, from 12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., and on Sunday, July 19, after 10:00 a.m. A Celebration of Diane’s Life will be held on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. in the funeral home. Burial will be private. To honor Diane’s passion for teaching and dedication to her students, contributions may be made to the Diane Armstrong Memorial Scholarship in Education at Heidelberg. The family is deeply thankful to home health aide Maria, nurse Vicki, Hospice of Northwest Ohio, and The James Cancer Center at Ohio State University for their expertise, care, and support during the past many months.