Obituary of Diana Marian DeMerio

Diana Marian DeMerio

March 30, 2021

Diana Marian (Costello) DeMerio, 85, of Baldwinsville, NY, died peacefully Tuesday, March 30, 2021, with her beloved husband by her side. The daughter of the late Vincent and Georgiana (Fenton) Costello, Diana was raised in Elmira, NY. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree at SUNY Geneseo and a master's degree in childhood education at SUNY Oswego. A primary school teacher, Diana spent her entire career opening the minds of, and igniting a passion for learning within her students in the Baldwinsville School District, most notably at Van Buren Elementary School, where she taught for 27 years. It was at Van Buren where she met the love of her life and her husband of almost 52 years, her Billy. Together, the couple developed strong friendships with people they encountered in all facets of their lives—their neighbors in Baldwinsville and Florida, their fellow educators and administrators, the regulars at the gym or Panera, Diane's long-time Geneseo roommates and others who were fortunate enough to make their acquaintance. If she had been born in a different era, Diana would have been an exceptional sportscaster as she could talk sports and players' stats better than most—particularly, about her Syracuse Orange teams. She will be remembered for her intelligence, thoughtfulness, perfect penmanship, sincerity, excellent taste and most of all, love and caring for others. She was predeceased by her parents and siblings; Gene, Gerald, Kay and Allan.

Surviving are her husband, William, her brother, Lawrence (Marian) Costello of Bethel Park, PA, sister-in-law, Eleanor (DeMerio) Sereno of Oswego, NY, and many nieces and nephews.

Her family wishes to thank the medical staff who treated and cared for her, especially Dr. Shawn Fazio, Dr. Richard Cherny's office and her radiation technician team, "Sun" (Lisa Arduini) and "Shine" (Erin Hayes), who went above and beyond to express their compassion and concern for her well-being.

Calling hours are 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 9—Diana's birthday—at Falardeau Funeral Home, 93 Downer St., Baldwinsville. A private service will immediately follow and be live streamed at https://www.facebook.com/falardeaufh/live. Burial in Riverview Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please honor Diana's commitment to providing a brighter future for children by making a gift to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.