On July 9,2023, at the young age of 57, my beautiful and courageous wife of 35 years, Diane Hartford-Schulert (nee Hadley), peacefully transcended to her heavenly home after a 23-year battle with major health issues: breast cancer in 2000 – beat that but the chemo caused Leukemia- beat that with a bone marrow transplant (20-year survivor) – but the transplant caused graft vs host disease in her lungs.
Diane intensely fought a losing battle due to complications from a double lung transplant at University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI.
We lost our baby Christian Schulert during her battle with Leukemia, yet we adopted the absolute joy of our life, Deidre Schulert in 2006 from Vietnam.
Through all of Diane’s struggles, she never complained, was bitter or felt sorry for herself, Instead, she raised our beautiful daughter, helped and supported others in similar situations and made me feel so incredibly loved and encouraged.
I am devastated by the departure of my soulmate, (she was the motivation for all I do), yet I feel a great sense of peace as I know she is in comforted in heaven and we will see her again one day. She is the epitome of beauty, sweetness, strength, and love – a woman of faith and compassion. A true Christian in every sense of the word. Our loss is heaven’s gain.
Diane started elementary school at St. John Lutheran School in Mount Prospect, Illinois before moving to Rochester Hills where she then attended St. John Lutheran School in Rochester. She graduated with high honors from Rochester High School in 1984, Oakland Community College and received her Bachelor Degree from the University of Detroit in 2000. Diane was working toward her master degree when cancer and other health issues struck.
Diane not only was instrumental in helping her husband Bill, “Baffling Bill the Magician”, in his career, providing encouragement and worked as his partner in the early years, but she also worked as a medical assistant for a cardiologist and MRI center and in Admissions at Woodward Hills Nursing Facility in Bloomfield Hills.
Diane is daughter of Jane (late Bob) Lussier and father Donald Witt Hadley Jr.; daughter in-law of the late Robert and Elfrieda Schulert; granddaughter of the late Ellis Ford and Alma Hartford; sister of Don Hadley, Doug Hadley, Deborah (Howard) Oakes, and the late Daniel Hadley; niece of the late Skip Hartford; sister-in-law of Kathy (Larry) Scharer, Tim (Cathy) Schulert, Tom (Kai) Schulert, and Dan Schulert.
Diane is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews and countless friends.
A celebration of Diane’s life will be held on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023 at 7 p.m. at Modetz Funeral Home, 100 E. Silverbell Rd., Orion. The family will receive friends 3 p.m. until time of service.
Suggested memorial donations may be made to Diane’s favorite organizations: The Voice of the Martyrs, 1815 SE Bison Rd., Bartlesville, OK 74006; Christ the Rock Church of God, 7321 Bell Rd., Knoxville, TN 37918; or LakePoint Community Church, 1550 W. Drahner, Oxford, MI 48371.
Online tributes may be shared at www.modetzfuneralhomes.com.