Diana Caroline Farris

Diana Caroline Farris, a Bartlesville legend, known for her kind, loving, caring, and humorous, song filled personality, left us on September 16, 2024. Born on July 30, 1941, Diana lived a life filled with tremendous passion and service towards others. She brought joy and laughter to everyone she met. Diana is survived by her son Eric Farris and his wife Shellie of Tulsa, Eric’s children Craig and wife, Amy and grandson Alex of Nowata, Chelsey and partner Ali of Joplin, Missouri, her daughter in law Amy Farris and granddaughter Rachel Farris and her partner Eliot Mathews of Tulsa, and brother Bob Hood of Stuart, Florida and many nieces and nephews. Her departure leaves an unfillable void in their lives, yet they find comfort in the memories and everlasting love they shared. Diana was preceded in death by her loving husband Ralph Farris and son Daniel Farris and her parents R.J. and Caroline Hood. Diana was an esteemed alum of John Marshall High School, located in Oklahoma City graduating in the rapidly evolving and socially challenging years of 1959. Diana then went on to Oklahoma State University, a proud Poke and Gamma Phi Beta, where she graduated with honors in Music Education. She went on to get her master’s degree in education, Guidance and Counseling at Central State University in Edmond, Oklahoma. She was a shining example of how to think of others, a value that was central to her character and lasted with her to the very end. Diana’s life was marked by her love of her family. Her daily love of Ralph, Eric and Shellie, Dan and Amy, her grandchildren, and her fantastic squad of friends, was an example of the kindness, empathy, and capacity she had to bring joy to those around her. One of Diana’s most commendable accomplishments was her status as an accomplished local theater actor and singer in her church choir at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. She was well known for her role in the Three Old Broad’s, performing in Bartlesville over a span of five decades. Diana, and her fellow actors brought the house down regularly with their performances. Music and theater were her language, her solace, and her method of connecting with the world. Her musical prowess was notable, and it became her enduring legacy. The joyful melody she brought into this world continues to reverberate even though she is no longer with us. Diana, a two time Allied Arts and Humanities Council Award Winner, performed with the Bartlesville Choral Society, Bartlesville Theater Guild, Bartlesville Community Concert Association, the Bartlesville Children’s Musical Theater, and she was a tutor at Kane Elementary helping children with reading. At the very end, she gave her last performance, her one-night stand, to the joy of family and friends alike. Tears rolled down faces and laughter echoed on throughout the day as visitor after visitor shared memories with Diana. Her laughter would not only fill the room but fill our hearts. Diana Farris, a beacon of joy, kindness, and love, will forever reside in our hearts. Her legacy, exemplified by her music and compassion, will continue to inspire, and guide us. As we grapple with the loss of her physical presence, we find solace in knowing that her spirit lives on through the music she loved, and the love she instilled in us. And as she always wanted, she is now “lighter than air!!!”

Diana Caroline Farris

July 30, 1941 - September 16, 2024