 As the church prepares to observe All Saints Day, Week of Compassion lifts up the life of a saint who recently passed from this life to life eternal. Her lifetime of service and good stewardship leaves a legacy of compassion that will continue changing lives for many years to come. Diane passed away in December of 2019. But through an endowment fund with the Christian Church Foundation, Diane’s faith will continue to support Week of Compassion for generations to come. Those early experiences with travel and connections to global relationships truly shaped her life and values. Now, her legacy of generosity and compassion will continue to shape the world. With the gift of a lifetime, Diane’s estate helps position Week of Compassion to have a significant impact in responding to the unique needs of our time and the challenges of a changing world. Diane Bowland grew up in a small Disciples of Christ congregation in Ohio and was a regular at Camp Christian. When she was a child, her family had relationships with missionaries from India and Thailand, often hosting them in their home. That connection and those visits with international friends instilled in Diane a global perspective and concern for the world at a young age, as did her participation in a UN Seminar experience. In 1970, she traveled with a group of young Disciples from across the country to Europe and Russia.
The theme of global connection continued throughout Diane’s adult life. She participated in General Assemblies and even a World Convention of Churches of Christ; she was very supportive of mission trips; and her love of travel took her around the world. She took each of her five nieces and nephews on a special trip after their 6th grade year, making a special connection with each of them and creating memories for a lifetime. In recent years, and especially following her retirement, Diane spent much of her time volunteering--particularly with the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, where she was named Volunteer of the year in 2009. Having been successful in her career, Diane was a good steward and wanted to be intentional about making her estate plan, ensuring that her resources would have a lasting impact. With her love of travel, her concern for global issues, and her heart for domestic disaster response, she was clear that Week of Compassion was to be the primary beneficiary of all she had saved over a lifetime. As a family member shares, “She was so committed and passionate for her church...passionate especially about mission work and fundraising for things like Disciples Mission Fund and Week of Compassion. Her natural outlook in life was helping others. She was truly selfless.” Diane passed away in December of 2019. But through an endowment fund with the Christian Church Foundation, Diane’s faith will continue to support Week of Compassion for generations to come. Those early experiences with travel and connections to global relationships truly shaped her life and values. Now, her legacy of generosity and compassion will continue to shape the world. With the gift of a lifetime, Diane’s estate helps position Week of Compassion to have a significant impact in responding to the unique needs of our time and the challenges of a changing world. This kind of support is especially important right now. The impact of the COVID-19 crisis continues to grow. There are more refugees and displaced people living in the world than ever before in our history. The effects of climate change weigh heavily on those around the world who already struggled under the weight of poverty. And natural disasters are happening with greater frequency and severity than ever. Yet, because of the faithful stewardship and generosity of people like Diane, this ministry of the wider church has a firm foundation to respond through these times, while also building for an uncertain future. The legacy that Diane leaves behind-- and the legacy of others who have remembered Week of Compassion in their estates-- is truly about so much more than money. This gift tells the story of a life well-lived; of prioritizing love of neighbor; and of a global vision for God’s love and compassion that extends far beyond a single place, or even a single lifetime. We give thanks for Diane, for her strong faith, and for the many saints of the church whose legacy of love continues to guide us into the future. Download PDF Comments are closed.
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