Diane Marie Heermann, 65, a resident of Grain Valley, MO, passed away peacefully Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at her home surrounded by her husband and daughters after a strong and courageous nearly 3-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Friday, February 6, 2026, at St. John LaLande Catholic Church, 805 NW RD Mize Road, Blue Springs, MO, with Fr. Sean McCaffery presiding. Visitation services will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Thursday, February 5, 2026, at St. John LaLande. Inurnment will be held at Mount Saint Mary’s Cemetery, 23664 Fox Avenue, Marshall, MO.
Diane Marie (Boland) Heermann was born on January 12, 1961, in Marshall, MO, to Raymond Boland and Mary Catherine (Hadaller) Boland; the oldest of four children and their only daughter. Diane was raised in rural Saline County where she graduated from Sweet Springs High School in 1979.
After high school, Diane enrolled at the University of Missouri, Columbia, earning a Bachelor of Education. She pledged with the Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi sorority. Following completion of her bachelor’s degree, Diane earned her M.Ed. degree in Special Education. Diane started her teaching career in Smithville, MO, and later worked for the Odessa School District teaching many years there before transferring to Fort Osage School District where she retired in 2013. Diane worked as a school psychological examiner for many years of her career.
On August 6, 1983, at St. Peter Catholic Church, Marshall, MO, she married Lyn Heermann. Lyn and Diane were married for 42 years and blessed with two daughters, Kathleen and Lauren. Both girls were intelligent, strong, motivated and resilient, each with their own unique talents and personality. Diane found great joy in her four grandchildren, Kemper and Henry Jekel, and Claire and Luke Cano and watching them grow.
Diane had many talents and interests and prioritized spending time with her family. She enjoyed family trips to the Lake of the Ozarks and rides on the Waverunner. She shared her love of cooking and baking with her daughters and grandchildren and was a knowledgeable coin collector since childhood. She will be fondly remembered as a thorough archiver of all facets of her family life. Diane was the driving force in her family, keeping everyone on schedule and always urging them to do their very best in whatever they pursued.
Diane is survived by her husband, Lyn Heermann of Grain Valley, MO, two daughters and spouses, Kathleen Jekel (Cullen), and Lauren Cano (Wes), both of Kansas City, MO and four grandchildren. Other survivors include her parents, Raymond and Mary Catherine Boland, of Sweet Springs, MO; three brothers, David Boland (Rene) of Marshall, MO; Donald Boland (Michelle) of Sweet Springs, MO; Darren Boland (Sandy) of Sweet Springs, MO; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Diane was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Edmund and Frances (Cretzmeyer) Hadaller, and paternal grandparents, Hilary and Clara (Morfeld) Boland.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. John LaLande Catholic School, Mount Saint Mary’s Cemetery, or National Shrine of Mary Mother of the Church, Laurie, MO.
Source: KMZU, The Farm
