Diane Virginia (Hornfeck) Cote’s soul left her physical body on April 19th, 2022 in Leesburg, Florida. Her spirit lives on in her two children, five grandchildren, two surviving sisters, numerous nieces and nephews, and her friends and extended family who knew her and loved her.
Fiercely independent and resilient, Diane lived her life on her terms. Born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania to Leonard and Virginia Hornfeck in November of 1947, Diane grew up in the McKeesport neighborhood of 10th Ward and graduated from McKeesport Senior Highschool.
She was adventurous, unafraid, and able to put down roots wherever her path in life took her. She could pack her life in her car and make it anywhere. She was kindhearted and welcoming. She made everyone feel included and loved. She was generous with what she had, even when it was very little. She was a hardworking, selfless, single mom with an eternal spring of unconditional love. She found joy in music, and for some time she was the lead vocalist of the jazz band, the Billy Phillips Quintet. She could never pass up a stray dog or cat on the side of the road, she came to be an unabashed advocate for the protection of animals and the environment. She wasn’t afraid to use her voice for good. She gave to nearly every charity that asked and signed every petition for causes she felt strongly about. She was a compassionate and patient caregiver who provided end-of-life care for her father and older sister.
She loved her career as a realtor and felt so proud of her work in that field, especially of the help she provided military families in the Pensacola area.
Diane is survived by her daughter, Amy Sadeghzadeh (Steve Steinmetz), her son, Mark Spaeder (Dawn), her grandchildren, Oliver and Mara Steinmetz, and Matthew, Dylan, and Jack Spaeder, and her sisters, Joan and Linda Hornfeck. She is preceded in death by her brother Leonard “Rizzo” Hornfeck and her sister, Barbara (Hornfeck) Reilly.
In Diane’s memory, please do something kind for someone in your life, hug your mother, use your voice to do good in this world, rescue a stray, have tiramisu for dessert, volunteer at the humane society, choose a product that is better for the environment over one that is not, or donate an organization that protects the earth or animals.
