Diana Eileen Marie Tolson

We are beyond grateful to have called Diana our mum and heartbroken over the loss of this precious woman. Thankfully, she had a remarkably happy, healthy and independent life right up until her last few months.

Diana was born in Edmonton to Marie and Rosse Parsons and moved a year later, along with her sister, Janet, to Victoria. The family made their home on Island Road in Oak Bay, where Diana attended Monterey Elementary and Oak Bay High schools, and then studied at Victoria College to become a teacher.

She met her future husband, Len Tolson, on the badminton court, and the two married in 1960. They settled in Oak Bay to raise their three kids: Doug (Christina), Anne (David), and Karin (Mark).

In 1977, the family moved to their much-loved property on Fork Lake in the Highlands. The couple spent 38 wonderful years at Fork Lake, until Len’s passing in 2015. Diana then returned to Oak Bay, to live a block from the ocean in a lovely little house on Lincoln Road.

During her 86 years, Diana was passionate about many things, but the most important were the most simple: walks in the woods, golden retrievers, feeding the birds, sitting by the water with a hot drink, her garden, spiritual growth and her family.

Diana was a truly exceptional human being. She was consistently kind and warm to all she met, and was an amazing role model to many in the way she focused on living in the present moment with acceptance and thankfulness.

She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed by her friends and family, including her grandchildren – Ava, Mark, Julie, Macie, Sawyer, Abby and Ella – and Janet’s daughter Colleen and her children Raquel and Nicole.

Diana’s family is very thankful for the exceptional care provided during her last three months at Victoria Hospice, following an unexpected terminal cancer diagnosis. We feel so very blessed to have had these final special months with our beautiful mum, who never wavered in her expression of deep acceptance and profound gratitude.

There will be no funeral service; instead we invite everyone to celebrate and remember Diana in their own way.