Our O’Malley family lost the heart and soul of our family on Oct. 3, when our beloved Diane O’Malley passed into eternal life at home, surrounded by her family and praying the rosary. She was the kindest and sweetest woman you could ever meet. Her mantra was, “You will never regret being kind,” and she lived those words every day of her life.
Diane was the most loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend. She was a true matriarch who leaves behind a beautiful legacy of family and faith.
She was preceded in death by her loving parents, John and Ermilda Doege, and her sister, Carol Pederson.
She is survived by her beloved husband, Patrick, and the children she loved dearly: Sherry O’Malley (Scott), Greg O’Malley (Jennifer), Mike O’Malley (Kristi), Tom O’Malley (Lanna), Corrie Loe (Jay), Marty O’Malley, Pat O’Malley (Kristin), Terri Pabst, Jeff O’Malley, Jon O’Malley (Maria), and Joy Richards (Dave). She is also survived by her sister, Judy Cavanaugh (Tom), and many nieces and nephews.
Diane was blessed with 51 grandchildren: Luke, Jessie, Alex, Ryan, Katie, Christine, Tyler, Savannah, Kyle, Jill, Colin, Kelsey, Jordan, Marta, Joshua, Jenny, Jake, Getahun, Johnny, Matthew, Anne, Eric, Jimmy, Nicole, Abby, Alex, Caroline, Yonas, Molly, Thomas, Sophia, Jordan, Isabelle, Daniel, Justin, Mari, Peter, Joseph, Ben, Connor, Isaac, Mark, Maria, Cecilia, James, Andrew, John Paul, Jacob, Lucia, Mollie, and Nathaniel. She was also blessed with 26 great-grandchildren.
Diane was born in Sauk Centre, Minn. She attended St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn., where she earned her BSN and met the love of her life. She began her nursing career at St. Joseph Hospital in St. Paul and loved working as a pediatric nurse.
Pat and Diane were married on Aug. 29, 1959, and enjoyed 67 years of married life together. Being the wife of an Air Force pilot meant living in many different places across the United States. During those 67 years, they were blessed with 11 children. It was through motherhood that Diane found her true calling in life: being a mother and leading her family in faith.
In 1974, they settled in River Falls, Wis., to be closer to family. Together, they built the home where they lived for 47 years and raised their rambunctious family.
Diane loved sharing her Catholic faith and was everyone’s biggest prayer warrior. She made her house a home where everyone was welcome to gather and where her faith was abundantly visible, especially during the Christmas season. When Advent arrived, her home was transformed into a Christmas village, where the true meaning of Christmas was celebrated and many sacred family traditions were passed down through the generations.
In addition to her faith, Diane loved traveling, cooking, knitting, growing flowers, having coffee on the deck, and spoiling her puppies and kitties.
One of her greatest treasures in life was her grandchildren. She loved baking cookies for them and enjoyed the challenge of keeping her candy box fully stocked. Her home was always filled with the love and laughter of her family. Sundays were her favorite, when the entire family would gather at her home for brunch after Mass.
Her family loved her beyond measure, and the joy she brought to their lives will be deeply missed. Her absence will be felt by all who loved her dearly. We are grateful that she is no longer suffering, and we continue to pray for her eternal rest.
Diane and Pat were deeply involved in pro-life causes, as evidenced by their ever-growing family. They truly believed in the sanctity of life. They were very much a part of Options for Women, a pro-life organization in River Falls, and served on its board for many years. If you would like to make a memorial donation in Diane’s honor, please send it to:
Options for Women
214 N. Main St.
River Falls, WI 54022
https://optionsforwomenrf.com
The wake will be held at Bakken-Young Funeral Home from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7th, with a rosary beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, beginning at 9 a.m. at St. Mary’s Big River Catholic Church, followed by the Funeral Mass at 10 a.m. Burial will follow at 11:15 a.m. at St. Mary’s Big River Cemetery. A luncheon and continued time of visitation will be held at Ridgetop following the burial.
In honor of Diane’s love of color, many family members will wear colorful funeral attire. Please feel free to wear traditional funeral attire or add a bit of color in honor of Diane, if you wish.
