Diane B. Heavens

Diane Heavens passed away early October 27th at St. Mary’s Hospital after a long illness at the age of 85.

A resident of Woodbury for 53 years, Diane grew up south of Boston in the town of Hingham and after graduating high school, attended Beaver College outside of Philadelphia. After college, Diane moved to New York City, working as a secretary. She loved to brag about working in the heart of Rockefeller Center and she would always point out the building and the floor she worked on whenever she visited the city.

She met her husband Don while working in New York and after getting married they moved to Woodbury in 1967 where Don began working at and eventually buying the Carl and Walt auto dealership. While her husband was busy building his business, Diane got involved in community events.

A fierce planner and organizer, Diane initially got involved with The March of Dimes, helping to put on their Good Time Charlie events. When her son started school, Diane got incredibly involved with the PTO. She also served as the secretary for the building committee for building the new Nonnewaug High School.

Diane was also a businesswoman, starting her own business in the early 80’s, Now or Never. From there she moved her career into real estate, working for several agencies in the Woodbury & Southbury area. Her next endeavor came when she and her husband bought the property which is now Woodbury Green South and was the location for The Woodbury Antiques and Flea Market and Corey’s. They ran the flea market for 15 years before selling the property and retiring. Even after retiring, Diane remained active in the community as a member of the Woodbury Business Association.

Diane was a devout Episcopalian and upon moving to Woodbury immediately joined St. Paul’s Church where she felt right at home from the start and it was at St. Paul’s where her planning and organizing were on full display through her involvement in the St. Paul’s Church Fair. The fair was an institution in Woodbury for over five decades, 32 of which Diane was the chairman. Planning took place months prior to the event date which was usually in early June and was an immense undertaking. Diane was able to daftly pull together all the different pieces of the fair and on the day of the fair she could be heard on the PA system making announcements about deals in different departments or calling for someone to come to the fair booth.

Diane loved to travel with her husband, and they traveled all over the globe to places like Greece, China, and Africa through trips his Chevrolet dealership had won. She also traveled to Scotland and Alaska with members of her church family. But the trips Diane loved the most were with her family and close friends. Fire Island, West Dennis Cape Cod and Thanksgiving in Puerto Rico were just a few of the many places she loved. Diane also loved to entertain, and she would frequently have dinner parties during the holidays. She also never missed a night of Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune.

Diane is survived by her son, Andrew Heavens, daughter-in-law Loreen, and granddaughters Victoria and Caroline, of Woodbury, her sister Pamela Galgay and her niece Alison Galgay of Massachusetts, her nephew Michael Ciesla and his wife Debbie and son Ian of Massachusetts, her niece Cara Ciesla of Plantsville, and her sister-in-law Shirley Ciesla of Naugatuck. She is predeceased by her husband Don Heavens, and her brother-in-law Edward Ciesla.

The family has decided to hold off arrangements until the spring. Donations may be made in her memory to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Woodbury.

Munson Lovetere Funeral Home assisted the family with the arrangements. To leave an online condolence please visit www.munsonloveterefuneralhome.com

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