Diana L. Lassen

Diana Louise Lassen, age 84, passed away on Tuesday, September 22, 2025, after a brief hospitalization. Diana had lived with Alzheimer’s disease for the last several years. Born in Norwood, Massachusetts on May 4, 1941, alongside her twin brother Don, she was the daughter of Victor Edmund and Olga Louise Maria (Anderson) Grant. Raised on Pleasant Street in East Walpole, Massachusetts, with her four siblings, Diana first learned the value of family from her parents and siblings, her Swedish grandparents who lived further up Pleasant Street and her favorite (great) Uncle Marsh Grant, who helped her father immigrate from Nova Scotia, Canada to the United States and get a job in East Walpole at Bird & Sons. Uncle Marsh was a special person who purchased a red bike just for Diana when she was a little girl.

As a teenager, Diana worked at the old East Walpole Library because she loved to read. After graduation from Walpole High School and Fisher College, Diana spent several years working as a legal administrative assistant at the Boston law firm of Bingham Dana & Gould for a senior partner. She loved her job. In the course of her work, Diana developed an expertise in estate planning matters, probate law, and income taxes. She later used that knowledge to help her parents and other family members .

Diana met her future husband Dick in 1963 at a social event for young singles at Trinity Church in Boston. As Dick had to drive from Waltham to Walpole for their dates, the courtship moved quickly along with the full support of her parents. Married for almost 61 years, Diana and Dick shared a full life together. Being a mother was a priority for Diana and she stayed at home to raise her two beloved children, helping with piano lessons and schoolwork, taking them to all manner of after school activities including sports practices and lessons.

Diana was a scratch baker. Baking was a hobby she took great pleasure in; her pies were legendary. For many years she was known as the “Pie Lady” who ran the baked goods table at the First Parish of Westwood’s Harvest Fair each fall and oversaw a dedicated group of ladies who faithfully produced the many apple, pecan and mince meat pies that were sold at the fair, which many families counted on for their Thanksgiving Day dessert. For her family, she baked Lemon Meringue for her husband, Cherry for her daughter and Apple for her son as those were the family favorites. With her good memory and keen mind, she was an avid doubles tennis player for many years playing competitive team tennis and loved nothing more than playing bridge socially with her friends or playing duplicate bridge with her husband Dick and other couples. She and Dick spent many an evening trying to outwit friends in duplicate bridge games.

A long time seasonal resident of South Harwich, Diana spent many happy days at Red River Beach with her children, making “summer” friends, and enjoying Cape Cod summers. When her family was young , Mom rallied everyone to the tennis courts at Brooks Park in Harwich to play doubles tennis: mom & daughter versus father & son. Fresh steamed lobsters were a particular treat that she and Dick enjoyed during the summertime in South Harwich.

She adored her mother-in-law, Dorothy, and learned from her about Victorian art glass which became another passion. She also adored her sister-in-law, Barbara and spent many happy hours antiquing with Barbara. She would treat Barbara with a homemade strawberry rhubarb pie.

Once her children were in high school, Diana went back to work as a tax preparer for 11 years at H&R Block in Norwood. She enjoyed the intellectual challenge of preparing tax returns, but enjoyed even more the camaraderie of her colleagues and she really enjoyed helping people solve their tax problems. She built up a clientele that relied on her judgment and counsel. As her parents aged, she became their primary caretaker, selflessly devoting hours to their care. In retirement, she and Dick greatly enjoyed travel across the United States, to Europe and Canada. Canada was a special place because Diana’s father had grown up there. Diana particularly cherished her role as Nana to her three granddaughters - Audrey, Grace and Hannah – whom she loved and adored so much, and they were a source of great joy to her. She loved to spend time with them, reading them stories when they were young, playing games like Clue and Uno, making movies on the iPad, and serving them Nana’s special strawberry jam on toast. As they grew older, she delighted in watching their dance recitals, music recitals and concerts, sporting events, and celebrating their accomplishments. Her granddaughters took away some great words of wisdom and life lessons from their Nana like “treat everyone the same”, “everyone needs a helping hand from time to time”, “work hard in school,” and “save your money.”

She is survived by her beloved husband Richard L. Lassen of Westwood, her daughter Gayle K. Lassen of Jamaica Plain, her son Richard D. Lassen and his wife Kendra of Westwood, and her granddaughters Audrey Rose, Grace Diana and Hannah Louise Lassen.

Beloved sister of the late Richard W. Grant and his life partner Ingrit S. Meyer of East Walpole; her twin brother, the late Dr. Donald E. Grant and his late wife Karyl of Madison, Connecticut; Virginia M. Stentz and her husband Richard of Creve Coeur, Missouri; the late John A. Grant and his surviving wife LaQuita of La Grange Park, Illinois; and sister-in-law to the late Barbara A. Lassen of Norwood and the late Robert T. Lassen of Harwich, Massachusetts.

Aunt to Pam Lassen of Mason, New Hampshire; Robert P. Lassen of Las Tablas Abajo, Panama; Sandra S. (Grant) Dillon and her husband Darin of Pagosa Springs, Colorado; Richard W. Grant Jr. and his wife Siovhan of Robinson, Texas; David H. Grant of Stuart, Florida; James V. Grant and his wife Miranda of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Peter M. Grant and his wife Jennifer Galligan, of Peoria, Arizona; Daniel A. Grant and his wife Sara of Plover, Wisconsin; Susan R. (Stentz) Marek and her husband Jesse of Melbourne, Florida; and John M. Stentz and his wife Heather of Andover, Minnesota. Cousin of Dr. Harry E. Law and his wife Linda of Clemson, South Carolina, and Ruth M. Winiarski and her husband Anthony of Westport. Diana is also survived by many great nieces, great nephews, extended family, and close friends.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend Diana's visitation at the Folsom Funeral Home, 649 High Street, Westwood, MA, on Thursday, October 2, 2025 from 3PM to 7PM. A funeral service will be held at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 24 Berwick Road, Norwood, MA on Friday, October 3, 2025 at 10AM. Interment to follow at New Westwood Cemetery, Westwood.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Diana’s memory to either Rosie’s Place, 889 Harrison Ave, Boston, 02118, or online at https://www.rosiesplace.org/, or to the Alzheimer’s Association, 320 Nevada St., Suite 201, Newton, MA 02460, or online at https://www.alz.org/