Diana Cormier

September 23, 1948 ~ March 18, 2021

ABBEVILLE — A memorial service will be held on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 3:00 PM to celebrate the life of Diana Cormier, 72, of Lyons Point, who died suddenly and unexpectedly on Thursday, March 18, 2021 in Metairie, LA.
Diana was the beloved wife of Nancy Hirzel.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Hodo Paul and Leona K. Cormier; her brother, Bradley J. Cormier.
Survivors include her sister, Catherine (Jules) Mayeux of Abbeville; nephew, Luke O. Mayeux of Maurice; niece, Ellen (Reed) Eldridge of Zachary; and six grand nieces and nephews, Gracie Mayeux, Andrew Mayeux, Leona Eldridge, Cora Eldridge, Jack Eldridge, Max Eldridge and one brother-in-law, David Hirzel.
Diana was born in Crowley LA on September 23, 1948.  She graduated from Crowley High School in 1966 and attended Touro Infirmary School of Nursing, graduating in 1969 and receiving the award for Most Outstanding Nursing Student of her graduating class.  She took the first of her nursing jobs at Charity Hospital Psychiatric Unit in New Orleans.  Diana traveled to Orlando FL in 1973 and worked there for a year before returning to Charity Hospital.  Later she worked for East Jefferson Mental Health Center, Norco Substance Abuse Clinic, and Jefferson Substance Abuse Clinic.  In 1990 Jefferson Substance Abuse Clinic, Jefferson Mental Health, and Developmental Disabilities became Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority.  There Diana counseled female victims of substance abuse, and created and coordinated the dual diagnosis program for mental health patients who also had substance abuse problems.  She later became the director of nursing for the agency, in addition to her counseling duties.  She always said she had the best career anybody could have.
Diana loved to travel and she took the first of her many trips to Europe, staying there for two months in 1970.  She returned in 1972, this time staying a total of four months, two of them in Florence Italy, one of her favorite places.
Diana met Nancy Hirzel while living in Orlando in 1973.  They got together in California in 1977 and returned to Louisiana later that year, the beginning of their loving and committed relationship that would have had its 44th anniversary in April of 2021.  They were legally married in Santa Fe, NM on August 26th 2013.
Both Diana and Nancy loved to travel, going to Greece 32 times over the years, in the beginning for a full month and extending that to two full months each year after they both retired in 2004.  In addition to Greece, they spent time in Turkey, Egypt, London, Rome, Paris, and Mexico City, lighting candles in every church they found along the way.  They always had a camper of one kind or another throughout their years traveling all around the USA, starting with a van and ending with a comfortable motor home, their roving home for seven months of each year for extended stays in Florida, Arizona, and New Mexico.  The coming of COVID ended their wider travels for 2020 (except for stays in the Metairie Ramada with daily visits to Barnes and Noble there), where they worked on plans to venture out again to Greece and NM in 2021. 
Diana would want to give thanks to all of her family and friends who shared life, travels, stories, dinners, and companionship throughout her life.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Thursday, March 25, 2021 from 10:00 AM until time of service. A Eulogy will begin at 1:30pm. Following the eulogy, words of remembrance will be said; all are welcome to partake.  A rosary is being prayed at 2:30 PM.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.