Kathryn Ann (Walrack) Diamond

July 31, 2023

On July 25th, 2023 our Heavenly Gracious Father opened His arms wide and welcomed our beautiful mother, Kathryn Ann (Walrack) Diamond, home.

Kathy came into this world the same way that she lived it, enthusiastic and vibrant. She was born April 2, 1945 at the Ringling Brothers home in Baraboo, WI, to George and Helen (Mikich) Walrack. She was the fifth of six children and while her family was at the circus, she came so fast her mother couldn’t get to the hospital.

Kathy grew up in Blanchardville, WI where her parents owned a dairy farm. She graduated from Blanchardville High School in 1963. While living on the farm, her brothers taught her to shoot which benefited her when she later joined the Air Force and became an Expert Marksman in her unit. After High School, Kathy moved to Madison, WI where she later met her ex-husband, Louie Diamond. They had 2 daughters, Alicia and Sharon. In July of 1977, on a dare, Kathy Joined the WI Air National Guard and was only the 2nd female to go into Law Enforcement. After her tour, she joined the Army and became a Combat Medic. After her 2-year enlistment with the Army, Kathy went back into the Air Force and was assigned to Air Force Intelligence. She was able to land a short tour with US Commander in Chief, Pacific Air Command. She then served for the Air Intelligence Center at the Pentagon, in Washington DC, and later was chosen to work with the Air Force Reserve Command at the Pentagon to supervise the NCOs for the Air Force National Security Emergency Preparedness Unit. She was then chosen to help with the startup of the Air Force Division of Homeland Security where after 26 years she retired in April 2005 as a Senior Master Sergeant. After retiring, Kathy moved to Florida to be closer to her daughters. Kathy’s biggest joy and pride was spending time with her family. She loved ALL of her family deeply and was an amazing mother. She was a faithful and Godly woman who was a member of Pinewoods Presbyterian Church. Kathy had a passion for helping others by serving on numerous mission teams such as feeding, clothing and having blanket drives for the Homeless, Group meals for college students, and mentoring to prisoners. Kathy also wrote daily devotionals on her Facebook page, which helped many people. Kathy had a zest for life and truly lived life to the fullest. She loved to travel, dance, horseback ride, to play cards and games, go boating, cooking, working in her flower beds, and playing with her dogs, Piddy Pot and Sabrina. She was so proud of taking her mother to Jamaica for her 80th birthday. She also spent endless hours researching and putting an ancestry book together for both her mother and fathers’ side of the family. She will truly be missed by all those that knew her, she will always be our Thelma.

She is preceded in death by her parents George and Helen (Mikich) Walrack; brothers, Matthew, Stephen, Keith, Stanley Walrack and sister Gloria (Walrack) Mastandrea.

She is survived by her 2 daughters, Alicia Diamond (Greye) Rynders and Sharon Diamond; 4 grandchildren, Cory and Kyle Driver, Aaron Allen and Jordan Rynders; one great grandson, Gunnar Rynders and many nieces and nephews.

There will be a Celebration of Kathy’s Extraordinary Life and Service at Pinewoods Presbyterian Church, 2198 County Road 297A, Cantonment, FL 32533, August 19, 2023, at 11 a.m. with a reception to follow.

Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, 1000 South Highway 29, Cantonment, is entrusted with arrangements.

Comments

3 Responses to “Kathryn Ann (Walrack) Diamond”

  1. Theresa Crabtree on August 17th, 2023 11:10 am

    Dear Alicia and Sharon , I’m so sorry to hear about your mother. She was a very special lady and we all loved her. We will not to able to attend the service as we will be burying Huey, Clay’s oldest brother at 10:00am at the Crabtree Church Cemetery. Remember we love you and our best wishes to your family. Penny is in the hospital with her knee replacement. Love to all, Clay, Theresa, Penny and Sissy

  2. Sharon Diamond on August 6th, 2023 2:31 am

    I want to thank all of you who reached out to myself and my sister, Alicia either through Calls, Messages and/or Cards. My Mom was indeed a wonderful, loving, caring, awesome woman who’s love clearly showed every day. My Mom revolved her life around my sister and I along with our children. She always made sure that we knew how much she loved us and how much we meant to her. She also focused on making sure that God knew her devotion to him was real and genuine. She lived her life for God and worshiped him. My Mom was truly a unique and remarkable woman who we always admired. She always did her best to be a good role model for us when we were growing up and even as adults. She made us so proud of her but was very humble too. My Mom visited several churches before finding the right church and was having problems due to her being raised as a Catholic and felt she needed to remain a Catholic. My Mom’s dear friend seen my Mom struggling with this and invited her to come & visit her friends church. My Mom accepted the invitation and after visiting the church, my Mom knew this was the church she had been looking for. She joined up as a member and continued living her life as a Christian. She made this church a very valuable part of her life and the friends that she had there meant so much to her. She loved her friends and enjoyed her time with them.

    Our hearts are broken in many pieces right now due to the loss of my Mother but my son, Kyle sat next to me the night before my Mother’s passing and said this to me. He said, Mom. You should think about Grandma the same way I am. Just think. Grandma is fixing to meet her maker. She went to church pretty much her entire life reading and studying about God and heaven and how lucky she is because she’s fixing to go there and meet him. Think about how exciting that is so you should be happy knowing that your Mom is fixing to meet God. The man that made her and how awesome that has got to be because you know Grandma is going to heaven. So be happy for her. She isn’t scared one bit and can’t wait to see her Dad, Mom, Sister and all of her brothers. I heard her say at times how she missed her family. God put her here for a reason and she did her work. Now God has called her to come home. You will see her again so be happy Grandma is going to heaven.

  3. Freda Whaley on August 1st, 2023 6:31 am

    My dear friend will be missed by so many.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Obituaries