Birth date: Mar 26, 1956 Death date: Apr 23, 2026
Big Rapids - Dianne Elizabeth Duran, age 70, of Big Rapids, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at Corewell Health Big Rapids Hospital. She was born March 26, 1956, in Lansing, MI, the daughter of John and Joyce Read Obituary
Thank you for watching me grow up and allowing me to hunt the woods. You will be missed! Also, I can’t forget the boxes of milkyways you made sure I got, so my dad didn’t eat them 🤗
One more for my mother, Caren Chappell. While not a memory necessarily it’s a beautiful observation tied to many memories. “I remember when you laughed it was an infectious kind of laugh that brought everyone along with the laughter.”
- Caren Chappell sister in-law
So some of my relatives asked me to share some of their memories on the tribute wall, since technology can be more difficult.
The adventures of Carol and Dianne:
These two sisters enjoyed many of life’s changes together and even made it fun! When they were younger Carol and Dianne would ride their bikes year round and everywhere, to the store, to school, to work, and everywhere in between. Rain, snow, or sunshine nothing would stop these two. Even when their environment changed they found their way on their bikes. They worked with a bus ministry through a church in big rapids. Then they moved to a basement apartment, later to a house over 100 years old, and then to a mobile home. Never stopped them from going places on their bikes, and if bikes were unavailable to them their own two feet would do the job just fine. One especially cold night after church, the two sisters set out for home. The assistant pastor saw them walking and thought “it’s too cold for them to walk so I’ll drop off my family and circle back for them”. When the pastor returned to see the girls safely home, he couldn’t find them. He drove around looking for them only to find out, the sisters had used their own secret shortcuts to get home faster. So they cut through one lot, then behind a complex for seniors, then they were crossing the street from a playground when the pastor finally found them. He said “girls get in it’s too cold!” He made sure they made it home. Then in 1982 our two adventurers set out again to ride their bikes from their home (I believe big rapids) to Alma, they made it about half way to Winn by midnight Mother’s Day weekend. This has always been a fond memory for Carol, they had a great time! Even after Dianne met Will and Carol moved out the two sisters/besties still found time to have their fun. They put 5000 piece puzzles together, played board games, made crafts, and loved each other and their families very much. After hearing these stories it was easy to understand why many said “we just love to try but we can’t keep with these Jones girls”. They were sisters and best friends.
Dianne was like a second mom to me. She and her family shared lots of time together with my family and I. I am her daughter Jill's best friend for over 30 years and counting. That including Dianne being a girl scout troop leader for a number of years to Jill and myself and our friends and classmates. GO Troop #655. She taught us alot of great knowledge about a great number of things through that time together especially, singing and camping, and how to be a great person. One of the best memories I remember is when we went to family camp along Lake Michigan and a great big thunderstorm came over the camp in the middle of the night. We were in a tent, so we had to go to a pavilion with a cinderblock kitchen area to take cover. With Dianne, Jill and I not having rain gear we had to quickly find something. We decided to make rain ponchos out of trash bags and run to take cover. We spent the rest of the time sitting in the kitchen eating graham crackers and talking or singing until the sun came out the next morning. Now that's creative thinking. Thanks Dianne for all your creative ideas and fun memories along the way.
This memory I feel speaks to the core of who my aunt truly was. Last summer/fall my daddy had triple bypass surgery, and they also repaired 3 valves within his heart while they were there. I was terrified we were going to lose him. It was major big time surgery. My aunt Dianne, uncle Will, and aunt carol traveled a great distance very early in the morning to be with my family. My cousin Jill traveled even further. The surgery lasted for about 9 hours, and everyone waited to see him after. By the time we left for home we all had been at the hospital for 12 hours. She showed up! She taught her daughter to show up! She provided transportation so others could show up. She lived her love, her love was abundant and evident in her actions. I will always remember her as someone who viewed love as a verb. Someone who turned love into action.
