Donna Elaine (Steen) Diteman

Donna Elaine (Steen) Diteman passed away peacefully surrounded by family members on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017, immersed in the love of her devoted husband Richard Thomas Diteman and her five children, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Donna had recently been diagnosed with cancer, but had also endured rheumatoid arthritis, with its challenges and complications, for many years. Throughout these years, she kept a positive, humorous, and hopeful outlook on life, even through obvious discomfort.

Donna was born on May 31, 1945, to Florence Esther (Wooliscroft) Steen and Donn Marwyn Steen in Sunnyside, Wash. She was raised in both Cheney and Greenacres, Wash. Donna enjoyed playing violin, cheerleading, basketball and tumbling during childhood and high school and graduated from Cheney High School in 1963. Donna soon married her high school sweetheart, Richard, on Sept. 7, 1963.

The couple's first child, Jackie, was born in Pomona, Calif. in 1964, but the homesick couple moved back to Washington within a year, where daughters Michele and Edie were born. They spent the next decade raising their daughters, subsequently moving to Post Falls, Idaho, where their two sons, Jeffrey and Curtis, were born. During this busy time of child-rearing, the couple worked as a team to build the family drywall and construction business, with Donna in charge of bookkeeping and logistics.

Favorite pastimes included visiting her beloved "Point" on Lake Pend Oreille, camping, traveling, gardening, baking, canning and spending quality time with her family.

Donna will be dearly missed by her husband of 54 years, Richard, in the family home; her two sisters, Karolyn Powers (Moses Lake) and Linda Steen (Garden Springs); her daughter Jackie and husband Scott Livingston (Post Falls), daughter Michele and husband Ross Friesen (Monmouth, Ore.), daughter Edie and husband Steven LaBelle (Post Falls), son Jeffrey Diteman and wife Grace (Deerfield, Mass.), and son Curtis Diteman and partner Brindlie Dietrick (Des Moines, Iowa), as well as grandchildren Candice, Nick, Cassidy, Trinity, Dakota and Sierra Livingston; Josh Larsen, Nikki and Broc Friesen; Blythe, Thomas and Anika LaBelle; and one great-grandchild, Brandon Meeks. Donna was preceded in death by her parents; Richard's parents, Curtis and Lorna Diteman and her first-born grandchild, Daniel Scott Livingston.

Donna was overwhelmed with joy and humbled with gratitude to have her many family members under one roof and by her side in her final days. She was our lifelong teacher, and reminded us all once again the importance of love, kindness, compassion and the strength of the family bond. We will never forget the power of a simple smile or hug that she so graciously offered and her unconditional love that never waived.

All family and friends of Donna and Richard are invited to join a celebration of life being held Dec. 16, 2017 at the LaBelle residence, Post Falls at 1 p.m. Call (208) 620-1241 for directions. The family asks donations be made to Hospice of North Idaho.