Diane Marie Pitochelli

Diane Marie Pitochelli, 68, of Andover, died on January 23, 2009 at the Lawrence General Hospital. Born in Methuen to the late William and Marie (Lanciani) Pitochelli, Diane graduated from St Mary's High School, Emmanuel College & Smith College graduate school, with further study at the Tyler School of Art in Rome, Italy, and she received a certificate in Landscape Design from the Radcliffe Seminars in Cambridge. She had a long career as a technical and science writer and editor at Houghton Mifflin and at the Digital Corporation. A renaissance woman, Diane traveled widely, was an avid birdwatcher, classical and chamber music appreciator, wrote exquisite poetry, and painted seascapes of her beloved Maine coast, - always displaying her formidable talent and intelligence. She was chosen Poet Laureate 2007, by the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement, Cambridge, where she was an enthusiastic student & study group leader. Her paintings are in many private collections and three of her collages are in the collection of the Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover. Diane is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, William and Mary Pitochelli, her sister Frances McCormick of Andover, her sister and brother-in-law, Kathleen and Hank Hamel of North Andover, her niece and nephew-in-law, Annmarie and AJ King, her nephews John Pitochelli of Andover, and Patrick McCormick and niece-in-law Babette Fahey both of Melbourne, Australia, and nieces Amy McCormick of Somerville, Alyssa Hamel of San Francisco and Maria Hamel of North Andover, and her two aunts Beatrice and Anne Pitochelli of Methuen. Arrangements: A memorial gathering will be held on Wednesday, January 28, at 11 a.m. in the Chapel at West Parish, located in the West Parish Cemetery, 129 Reservation Road, Andover, MA. Burial will follow the service. For more information and to leave messages go to www.breenfuneralhome.com In lieu of flowers Memorial contributions may be made in her name to: LCS-Creative Living-Andover, 888 Worcester Street, Suite 160, Wellesley, MA 02482, or CLASS, 1 Parker Street, Lawrence, MA 01843, or Dana Farber Institute, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115, or Save the Children, 54 Wilton Road, Westport, CT 06880.