January 31, 1938 – October 12, 2018 Diane E. Blizzard passed away at home in the company of her loving family on Friday, October 12, 2018, at the age of 80. She was born Diane Elizabeth Sprouls in Churubusco, Indiana to parents Earl and Hilda Sprouls, the youngest of four sisters. Diane was a talented pianist from a young age, sang in the church choir and played many musical instruments. She ultimately earned a degree in Music from Manchester College in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She was the first in her family to graduate from college. Diane was teaching music at the high school in Union City, Indiana when she met Walter Blizzard at a basketball game. They got married in 1962 and in 1966, she gave birth to her only child, daughter Paula Lenore Blizzard. Diane, Walter, and Paula moved to Spencerport, New York in 1968. In addition to being a wonderful and devoted wife and mother, she continued to give piano lessons, and taught herself shorthand and word processing when she later worked for the Spencerport School District. The family enjoyed camping and spending time at their cabin in southern New York. When she and Walter retired, they ran an Abbott’s Ice Cream shop in Brockport, New York. They also traveled frequently around the world, and Diane particularly liked visiting a former exchange student in France. In 1997, they moved to Gardnerville, Nevada. In addition to music, Diane loved sewing and crafts. She created beautiful quilts, cross-stitch and needlepoints. Diane and Walter were active members of the Carson Valley Model A Ford Club, enjoying outings and events. Diane is survived by her sister Beatrice E. MacQuire of Fort Wayne, Indiana, husband Walter, daughter Paula, and grandchildren Maxine Blizzard Brown and Matthew Blizzard Brown. No funeral services will be held. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
