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Diane (Andrews) Teske Kellar, 76

Diane Kellar, 76, passed away peacefully Sept. 28, 2017, surrounded by her loving family. She was born on Jan. 27, 1941, in Emmett, Idaho, to Howard and Gwendolyn (Griffith) Andrews.

Diane spent her early childhood in southern Idaho, later moving to Kellogg, Idaho, where her father became the superintendent of the Kellogg School District. Diane and her two sisters grew up enjoying summers at their family’s cabin on Lake Coeur d’Alene, where many fond memories were made with family and friends. Diane graduated from Kellogg High School in 1959 and from Oregon State University in 1963 with a degree in elementary education. She married Ted Teske, from Wallace, Idaho, after college and began teaching elementary school. Once Ted finished medical school, they spent the next 10 years in the military as Ted served as a radiologist for the Army.

Diane loved those years in the military with Ted, and they welcomed their three children during this time. In 1976, Ted unexpectedly died, leaving Diane to raise her young children on her own. Several years later, she married Wayne Kellar, and their marriage lasted 22 years. They lived for a few years in Aurora, Colo., then Federal Way, Wash., and finally settled in Rathdrum, Idaho, at Twin Lakes Village. Diane began working for the Central Valley School District in Spokane, eventually becoming the head secretary of Greenacres Elementary. She thoroughly enjoyed the many years she spent there and the wonderful relationships and friendships she made with students, parents and fellow staff members.

After retiring in 2010, she kept busy enjoying time with her many close friends at Twin Lakes Village, as well as with her children, their spouses and her four grandsons. This past spring, Diane moved to Spokane Valley, Wash., and had been enjoying the care and comfort of living with her sister, Lynn.

Diane had a loving, generous soul and always put others before herself, especially her children. She was strong and graceful as she forged ahead in life as a widowed mother, and throughout her life she modeled those values of courage, integrity, loyalty and selflessness for her children. Diane was sharp and talented in many ways, including being a fabulous golfer and skier, a beautiful piano player, a talented artist and a wonderful party host.

She loved dancing, baking, listening to her favorite music, and enjoying social times with her friends and family. She dearly loved many special pets in her life, including her late dog, Bridget and her cats, Lizzie and Lucy. She adored her children and grandsons more than anything, and she especially cherished times when the entire family could be together at the cabin on Lake Coeur d’Alene, which was her happiest place on Earth. She leaves behind an amazing legacy for her children and grandchildren, who will take with them her strength of character, her love of life and her commitment to family.

Diane is survived by her children, Chris (Caprice) Teske of Bellingham, Wash., Heidi (Scott) Friedman of Nine Mile Falls, Wash., and Tony (Kristin) Teske of Seattle, Wash.; grandsons Jeff, Ty, Sam and Liam; sister Karen (Lynn) Farrens of Sunnyvale, Calif.; sister Lynn Andrews of Oakland, Calif.; many special brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law; and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Gwendolyn Andrews; her in-laws, Al and Jean Teske; and her husband, Ted Teske.

A celebration of life for Diane will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, in the Fireside Room at CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to your local animal shelter or to one of her favorite animal shelters: Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Agency (SCRAPS), the Spokane Humane Society or the Kootenai Humane Society.