Dianne McFadden-Vance

Some people pass through the world quietly, but Dianne McFadden - Vance moved through it with an unstoppable momentum. Dianne simply never sat down. For 85 years, she lived with an open heart, an adventurous soul, and a deep devotion to her family and faith.

Born in Benton Harbor, Michigan, Dianne was the eldest of six. In her youth, she and her twin brother, David, even won local dance competitions. Her life found its lasting anchor as a teenager when the McFadden family embraced her as their own. They introduced her to the Seventh-day Adventist faith-which she carried proudly for life-and to their eldest son, Don. He was her first kiss, and it was love at first sight.

Dianne and Don married in 1959, building a beautiful fifty-year life in the Gobles and Bloomingdale communities. Together, they raised four children and shared a passion for the outdoors-embracing Michigan winters on snowmobiles, camping, riding motorcycles, and eventually exploring the country in their RV. For decades, Dianne poured her boundless energy into the Gobles Seventh-day Adventist church, serving the congregation in every capacity imaginable.

Dianne's home was an extension of her creative spirit-always filled with music, hospitality, backyard bonfires, and competitive games of Holey Board. She sang beautifully (when in tune), played the violin (even when painful).

That same fearless spirit fed a legendary adventurous streak; Dianne skydived, rode her own motorcycle, and even ran her first half marathon at age seventy. Following Don's passing in 2009, Dianne eventually found love again in Tennessee, marrying Norman Vance in 2011 and expanding her circle of joy.

No matter where her adventures took her, Dianne always held a deep love for the Michigan landscape of her youth. She noticed every piece of beauty in nature and made sure the rest of us paused to notice it, too. On June 21, 2026, she passed away peacefully with her family by her side in Battle Creek.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Don McFadden, and her daughter, Dana McFadden Hall.

Her bright spirit lives on in her children, Rene McFadden-Berger, Ron McFadden, and Chelli McFadden-Miller; her siblings, Bud Minikel and Gloria James; and her five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Dianne lived fully right to the very end-and if there is a garden in heaven, she is undoubtedly digging in it right now, refusing to sit down.