Diana Bentley Brown was born in Hamburg, Iowa on February 18, 1936. She was one of two daughters of J. Temple and Mildred (Duval) Bentley.
She lived in Watson, and later moved to Rock Port, graduating from Rock Port High School in 1954. As a child, she showed horses at the American Royal and participated in the Rock Port High band. Diana attended four years of college after high school and received her teaching credentials at Northwest Missouri State University.
Diana married Benjamin W. Brown of Shenandoah, Iowa. They became parents of two children, Dana and Bentley. They later divorced. She taught English, Business Writing, and Psychology at multiple high schools in Missouri. She later finished her teaching career at Tarkio Academy in 2006. In her spare time, she did substitute teaching at local schools.
Diana loved to travel and had explored Portugal, London, Italy, China, Greece, the Bahamas, and several U.S. states. She liked to cook, golf, play bridge, bird watch, garden, and read. She enjoyed trips to Kansas City for shopping and dining. She also had a deep love for her cats. She was an active member of the First Christian Church of Rock Port.
Diana passed away on January 3, 2024 at North Kansas City Hospital. She was preceded in death by her parents and granddaughter, Emily Zech. Survivors include her daughter, Dana Ragsdale of Lincoln, Nebraska; son, Bentley (Susan) Brown of Auburn, Nebraska; sister, Julia (William) LaHue of Lexington, Missouri; grandchildren, Brian Zech of Auburn, Nebraska; Bailey (Ryan) Aufenkamp of Nemeha, Nebraska; and Hannah (Keaton) Mason of Lincoln, Nebraska; great grandchildren, Berringer Zech, Zola Aufenkamp, and Bennett Aufenkamp; along with a niece, nephews, and cousins.
Services: 11:00 am, Wednesday, January 10, 2024, Rock Port Christian Church, where her family will greet friends beginning at 10:00 am. Private family inurnment will be held at Hamburg Cemetery, Hamburg, Iowa. Memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society or the Rock Port Christian Church. Care entrusted to Chamberlain Funeral Home, Rock Port.
