Diane Levine Stahnke, 62, passed away on May 23, 2013 at home in Orange surrounded by her family.
For the past two years, Diane has fought an inspirational battle with cancer. She was born on April 16, 1951 in New Haven, the daughter of the late Murray and Goldie Cohen Levine.
She leaves behind her husband of thirty years, Carl Stahnke and her children, Dara and Ben Stahnke. She also is survived by her two brothers Joel (Ann) Levine of Laguna Hills, CA, and Allen (Shelly) Levine of Brookfield, CT.
Diane was educated at Lee High School (class of 1969), University of New Haven, and received her Master’s degree from Southern Connecticut State University.
Diane worked in real estate at George Smith and later Coldwell Banker in Milford before finding her life’s passion in her field of social service.
She worked for several years at Jewish Family Services in New Haven, before striking out to open her own social service agency, Positive Services For Kids (P.S. Kids) in 2007.
In her free time, she liked nothing more than walking by the beach in Woodmont or West Haven and collecting pretty seashells, and beach glass from vacations. Diane loved traveling to the warm and sunny places like Mexico, California, and the Southwest, but also most of New England and New York City.
She really loved her family and also her many friends like her tennis gals, her book club buddies, her gym girls and her walking friends. No one who met her ever forgets her enthusiasm for living life to the fullest. Although we will all miss that “fiery redhead”, we are all better people for having known her.
We would like to thank the Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven and the angels at Connecticut Hospice for her care.
Funeral services were held at Robert E. Shure Funeral Home, 543 George Street, New Haven SUNDAY MORNING with interment services at The Beth Israel Cemetery, Derby/Milford Rd., Orange.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Conn. Hospice, 100 Double Beach Rd., Branford, CT 06405 or to a charity of one’s choice . www.shurefuneralhome.com







