Dianne L. (Rine) Dunbar, age 71 of Lancaster, passed away peacefully on September 16, 2023, at the Pickering House surrounded by loved ones, after a courageous four-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
Her spirit is now at peace as she sits with Jesus Christ. She was born in Newark, Ohio on June 20, 1952, to the late Perry H. Rine and Lottie P. (Banks) Rine. She graduated from West Holmes High School and went on to study nursing at Wayne County Vocational School. She married the love of her life, David Dunbar on May 27, 1978. They lived in Durham, North Carolina until David finished his residency at Duke University, then they moved to Lancaster in 1981. Together they attended St. Mary of the Assumption for the past 10 years, where she loved going to mass and being involved with her church.
Dianne spent much of her time helping others. She was a volunteer at Fairhope Hospice for many years and a member of the Fairfield County Medical Alliance and the Fairfield County Heritage Association. She enjoyed sewing and made many quilts for Mommies Matter. Dianne was also an amateur ventriloquist and looked forward to going to the Annual Vent Haven International Ventriloquist Convention every year. She and her dummy, Tony, attended nearly every year since 1981 where she loved mingling with ventriloquist friends and meeting new people. She always looked forward to and enjoyed many trips with their good friends, Dr. Mark and Fran Miller.
Dianne is survived by her husband, Dr. David Dunbar; children, Richard (Sarah McGuinness) Stringfellow of Killbuck, Ohio, Andrew Dunbar of Lancaster, Alan (Tiffany) Dunbar of Lancaster, Angela (Aaron) Broughman of Jackson, Michigan, and Theodore (Rachel Corp) Dunbar of Lancaster; grandchildren, Allison, James, Josephine, and Gabriela Broughman, Everett and Elliott Dunbar; brothers, Len (Connie) Rine of Frazeysburg, Ohio and Chuck Rine of Mount Vernon, Ohio, sister, Dora "Jeanie" (Tim Miller) Abel of Wooster, Ohio; as well as many nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Bill Ridgway, special niece, Tiffany Ridgway, and mother- and father-in-law, Howard and Alice Dunbar.
Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at The Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption, with Fr. Craig Eilerman, Celebrant. Burial will follow in St. Mary Cemetery. Friends and family may visit on Friday, September 22, 2023, from 2:00 - 4:00 and 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at SHERIDAN FUNERAL HOME, with a vigil service at 7:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Dianne may be made to Fairhope Hospice and Palliative Care, 282 Sells Rd., Lancaster, OH 43130, or The Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption, 132 S. High St., Lancaster, OH 43130.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the doctors and staff at the James Cancer Hospital, the Morehouse Tower and Fairfield Medical Center for their compassionate care and support, and an extra special thank you to the staff and doctors of the Pickering House.
To send an online condolence and sign a guestbook, please visit www.sheridanfuneralhome.net and click obituaries.
