Diane Marie Murnane, 76, passed away peacefully in Newport R.I., on July 2, 2026. Born on Aug. 3, 1949, in Boston, she was the oldest of five daughters of Catherine (Larkin) and William Murnane.
Diane is survived by her daughter, Jacqueline Stahl (Jonathan) of Middletown, R.I., grandchildren Lauren, Megan, Isaac and Benjamin Stahl; sisters Sheryl Murnane, Carole Hughes (Richard), and Maureen Renaud (Tony), as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Diane is preceded in death by her son, Sean Patrick Shea, her sister, Linda Hickson, and her parents Catherine (Larkin) and William Murnane.
Diane grew up on Stellman Road in Roslindale, surrounded by aunts, uncles and cousins and remembered her childhood fondly. She graduated from Roslindale High School in 1967 where she played drums in the marching band. Through the years, Diane worked at the newsstand in the Statler Office Building, Shaw’s in Norwood, DJ’ing local parties, Foxwoods Casino, and CVS in Wayland. Along the way she made many great friends everywhere she went.
Diane loved to travel, lunch with friends, bowl, play bingo, do a jigsaw puzzle, boogie board at the beach, play cards all day, and go out on a boat for the day shouting “Ahoy!” to any passing boat. She loved the “oldies,” and loved to sing and dance to her favorite songs with a White Russian or Amaretto di Saranno in hand.
What made Diane the happiest was having her family and good friends around. Nothing excited her more than a holiday, weekend, or birthday where the whole family would gather and create lasting memories with her. She was fiercely loyal and dedicated to her family and friends. Diane will be missed by so many.
A celebration of her life will be held in August in Norwood. Please consider making a donation to your local food bank in Diane’s memory.
