Diana Lee Neves

Diana Lee Rawson Neves, lifelong learner, teacher, adventurer, and matriarch, passed away peacefully on February 25, 2026, at age 80.

Diana was born on October 3, 1945, in Santa Barbara, California, to John Robert Rawson and Edith Meredith Brooks. As the daughter of a U.S. Air Force pilot, she spent her formative years moving between military bases around the world. She began kindergarten in Fairbanks, Alaska, spent her middle school years in Birmingham, Alabama where she witnessed firsthand the tensions of the Civil Rights Movement. Diana graduated from West High School in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1963, a well-traveled life at just eighteen.

After graduation, Diana attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English in 1968. For three years, she taught English and Drama at Murray High School in Salt Lake City.

Diana met her husband, Eldon on a blind date while attending BYU. Fresh off a church mission to Mexico, Eldon would convince her he was the answer to her prayers. After a long courtship interrupted by a tour in Viet Nam, they were married in 1971 and begun building their family of seven: Wes, Brooke, Hilary, John, Will, Josh and Jared.

They made their home in Spanish Fork, where the children attended school and Eldon established Seven Trees Company. While Diana devoted herself to growing the family, she was also the company’s first (and best) employee.

She loved being a mom and passed along her love of reading and writing to both her children and her students. One of her greatest gifts was the journals she faithfully kept, recording events, faith, fears, hopes, aspirations, and goals for self-improvement. She was a beautiful writer and an unapologetic grammar expert. In her home, good grammar was expected and skits were often performed on demand.

When the youngest enrolled in kindergarten, Diana felt the call to go back to teaching. She renewed her teaching certificate and started teaching Drama and English at Payson Middle School.

Diana was born to teach, and she was good at it. She took special pride in writing and directing the school plays, including her own creation, The Phantom of Payson Middle School. She not only taught drama, she acted as well, performing in school plays and in community theater. One perfect role was that of Martha Brewster in the Palmyra Stake’s production of Arsenic and Old Lace. In later years, she would continue to lend her experience and encouragement to other community theater productions. Tom Sawyer was a favorite.

Diana retired from teaching in 2008 after twenty continuous years in the classroom, but she never stopped teaching or learning. She remained, at heart, a lifelong educator and mentor.

A lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Diana and Eldon served a mission together in Sierra Leone, West Africa, in 2009. As proselyting missionaries, they walked the red hills side by side, sharing their faith and kindness. They formed deep and lasting friendships with the people of Sierra Leone and left a piece of their hearts there when they departed. Both Diana and Eldon have namesakes in Sierra Leone, babies named in their honor.

Diana took great joy in her growing family. With thirty-two grandchildren and twelve-great grandchildren, she cherished being “Grandma” and wore the title as a badge of honor. There was little she loved more than sitting in the stands at football games, soccer matches, softball tournaments, tennis matches, basketball games, and swim meets, often with a favorite book in her lap between plays. She was their biggest fan, quietly cheering, always proud of their efforts and accomplishments in every arena.

In 2023 Diana was diagnosed with dementia, and life gradually slowed down and became simpler. She passed away peacefully, surrounded by family.

She is survived by her husband, Eldon A. Neves, and her children, Wes (Tammy) Neves, Brooke (Scott) Severe, Hilary (Dean) Roberts, John (Andrea) Neves, Will (Kimberly) Neves, Josh (Amie) Neves, and Jared (Amber) Neves; and her brother, Michael (Miriam) Rawson. She was preceded in death by her parents, John Rawson and Edith Meredith Brooks Woodmansee, and her siblings, Robin Rawson and Bill Rawson.

A viewing will be held on Friday, March 6, 2026, from 6:00–8:00 p.m. at the Palmyra Church, 1866 W 5000 S, Spanish Fork, Utah. The funeral service will take place on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., at the same location, with a viewing prior from 9:00 am to 10:30 am

Condolences may be expressed to the family on this page.