Diane Solowski

Diane Solowski of Wayne passed away on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Born to the late Thomas and Mae Fisher (nee Malkowicz), Diane and her younger sister, Susan, were raised in Passaic, NJ. Growing up in modest circumstances, Diane’s family found joy in simple pleasures like dollar-admission shows in Radio City Theater in New York City as well as trips to the Jersey Shore. Summers were spent with her mother’s family in Wisconsin. Extended family played a central role in her early life; cousins like Eddie and Helen were as close as siblings to her throughout her life. 

A natural connector of people, even in childhood, Diane began a pen pal friendship at the age of ten with a girl named Dorothy from England that started a friendship that spanned the rest of their lives. Diane’s mother, Mae, and her childhood friend, also named Mae, decided their mutual dislike of letter-writing was best solved by having their daughters write on their behalf. Diane and Carol became pen pals. When Diane went to meet up with Carol for a day at the beach, Carol’s older brother Ray volunteered to drive the pair and spent the day with the girls. Sparks flew between Ray and Diane and their romance blossomed.

Diane and Ray were married on May 27, 1961, at St. Joseph Church in Passaic, and celebrated with a honeymoon to Florida. The couple first lived in an apartment in Edison before they proudly purchased a home in Wayne. Following graduation from Passaic Senior High School, Diane initially worked in an office, but then transitioned to the role of homemaker. Together, Diane and Ray formed many friendships early in their marriage that would last a lifetime. Diane and Ray shared fifty-six years of loving and devoted marriage and they were blessed with three daughters: Lisa, Nancy, and Tracy.

If there was one role that Diane treasured above all others, it was being a mother. She loved being involved in her children’s lives. She was an active PTA member, regular class mom, and an in-class reading assistant, in addition to being a timekeeper or scorer at her daughters’ basketball games. Diane’s patience, creativity and natural teaching ability made her a frequently requested volunteer by both students and teachers alike. She sewed some of her own clothes as well as making beautiful dresses and noteworthy Halloween costumes for her daughters. Every child in the neighborhood gravitated toward Diane, seeing her as a source of guidance, warmth, and a listening ear. Her well-networked circle of fellow moms meant that few things happened in the neighborhood without Diane knowing - a fact her daughters can attest to, having never quite managed to slip past curfew undetected. 

Diane was also an artist. She loved painting, sculpting, ceramics, in addition to crafting wreaths and decorations. She also loved to cook homemade meals and baked goods. She and Ray enjoyed Sunday drives, and spontaneous day trips to the Jersey shore or even H&H Bagels in New York City. They enjoyed meeting up with extended family for a day at the beach or a trip to the Atlantic City casinos. Diane enjoyed traveling with Ray, as long as it was by car. They traveled all along the eastern seaboard, from Maine to Florida, and made several road trips out to St. Louis, MO. She did fly to Las Vegas with Ray and with the family out to California to visit her beloved cousin, Eddie, and his wife, Michaele, in California.

As her family grew, so did her role as matriarch. Diane was the glue that kept everyone connected. When grandchildren arrived, she showered them with the same devoted love she had given their parents (with a bit more leniency). When she couldn’t see them in person she would call them, Face Time them or even text them. Her sharp memory ensured she never missed a birthday or an important event in her circle of family and friends.

Friendship was one of the great constants of Diane’s life. She was easy to talk to and had a gift of making people instantly feel at ease. She made many friends and kept them for decades, gathering regularly for dinners and lunches. She was an avid reader with many interests who could easily converse on a myriad of subjects. Diane was a warm and thoughtful person who made everyone feel truly seen and heard; she embodied the meaning of “home”. She touched countless lives over her life and will be dearly missed by her family and friends. 

Diane is survived by her three daughters: Tracy Solowski, of Wayne, Lisa Velicky and her husband, Paul, of Parsippany, Dr. Nancy Solowski and her husband, Kevin Kampherstein, of Maryland, her eight grandchildren: Alex and her partner Dylan and son Sennen, Tristan, Christopher, Nicholas, Sarah, Paulie, Breyen, and Eme; her sister Susan Mortaro and her husband, Louis, of Wayne; her sisters-in-law: Margaret Solowski of Sewaren, NJ and Carol Lloyd of Montrose, CO; and her many dear nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her husband of fifty-six years, Raymond Solowski.