Diana "Diney" D. Wharry
What do you remember about Diana "Diney"? Share your stories and photos here, and invite others to come share their memories.
Diana Delaplaine Downs Wharry, "Diney", passed away peacefully in her Zionsville home on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, after a short battle with cancer. Following her diagnosis, Diney was fortunate to have several months to enjoy her family and friends. Four o'clock happy hour at Diney's house became the place for people to gather every day of the week. With her loving and fun spirit, and Pinot Grigio in hand, she greatly enjoyed the fellowship of dear friends and family.
Diney was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 27, 1935, to Allison Virginia Vance Delaplaine Downs ("Red"), and William Work Downs. When she was very young, her family moved to Lebanon, Indiana to play their beloved game -- golf -- at Ulen Country Club. Diney was an avid golfer and played at Ulen until last October at the age of 86. Diney graduated from Lebanon High School, attended Western College for Women (now Miami of Ohio), and graduated from Butler University. At Butler, Diney was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, an affiliation she enjoyed her entire life.
The summer after college graduation, Diney married the love of her life, Allen Foster Wharry, and they traveled the world while Allen served in the U.S. Navy. Settling in Zionsville, Diney and Allen raised their family, living in the same home for nearly 60 years -- a home renowned for hot tubbing, I.U. games, bridge parties, sitting on the deck, Christmas Eve parties and lots of fun! Diney, her family and many friends, enjoyed travelling to Wild Dunes on the Isle of Palms, SC and her family was happy to have one post-COVID trip there last summer.
Diney and Allen were both only children and worked as adults to build a large extended family of friends. A pillow in Diney's home says, "Friends are Family one finds along the way" and that is how they both lived. After Allen died over 26 years ago, Diney, who did not remarry, continued to hone friendships in many places: on the golf course, with her First Tuesday group, Zionsville Women's Club, multiple bridge groups, her walking group, Zionsville Christian Church and with her girls' friends.
Diney taught English and history at Carmel high school for over 25 years, coaching a State Champion Brain Game team. Diney was a member and the only woman on the first Eagle-Union Community School Corporation School Board, later known as Zionsville Community Schools. She was also its first female Board Chair.
She was an avid reader and cherished her book club that met every month for over forty years! As an English teacher and the daughter of a journalist, she had an appreciation of language, literature, and the written word. She was still correcting grammar to the bitter end (will we ever get lie and lay straight?).
Diney leaves behind a family who loved and admired her strength, dedication and sense of humor: two daughters, Allison Wharry (husband Stan Evans) and Martha Farley (husband Michael), and four grandchildren, Burk and Annie Evans, Will Sorrells and Jack Farley. Diney was also preceded in death by her granddaughter, Kathleen Delaplaine Farley.
A visitation will be held on Friday, April 15 from 4:00-7:00 pm at Simplicity Funeral Funeral and Cremation Care, 125 W. Sycamore St., Zionsville, followed by a private graveside ceremony at Zionsville Cemetery. Diney's main wish was that we have one last party in her memory. Please join the family for a casual open house celebrating Diney beginning at 4:00 pm on Saturday, April 16 at Allison and Stan's Zionsville home.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in Diney's memory to either the Zionsville Education Foundation, www.zionsvilleeducationfoundation.org, 900 Mulberry Street, Zionsville, Indiana 46077 or New Hope of Indiana, www.newhopeofindiana.org/donate , 8450 N. Payne Road, Suite 300, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268.