Diane Dorsey, 73, passed away early Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018, at Mayo Hospital, St. Marys Campus-Rochester, after a brief and unexpected hospitalization. She passed away peacefully, with family by her side.

Diane was born on Sept. 6, 1944, the daughter of Earl Hausler and Esther (Zimmerman) Hausler in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. She graduated from South High School in Sheboygan in 1962 and received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in 1966. She married Terry Dorsey in Sheboygan on June 15, 1968. She taught elementary school for several years in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, before relocating to Grand Forks, North Dakota, where she served as Assistant Dean of Women at the University of North Dakota while Terry earned a master’s degree in science teaching. The couple moved to Austin, Minnesota, in 1970, where she continued to reside until the time of her death. During her years in Austin, she served the community as a teacher for over 25 years, first as a kindergarten teacher and later as a first grade teacher. She earned a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Minnesota in 1993, and retired from teaching in 2002.

Diane was an active member of St. Olaf Lutheran Church, where she served on many committees, including the Altar Guild committee, participated in Pairables and other church social groups and taught Sunday school. She was also a member of PEO Chapter BZ for 41 years, an early member of AAUW and a charter member of the local chapter of the Austin Audubon Society. She served her community in many ways, including packing weekend meals for children through the Backpackers program held at St. Olaf Church, serving as a board member and driver for Austin’s Hot Meals on Wheels, and mentoring many local children.

She was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband, Terry; son, Chad, daughter-in-law Elizabeth, and grandchildren, Sophia and Liam, of Acton, Massachusetts; her sister, Darlene and brother-in-law Don Burgess of Tucson, Arizona; her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, John and Jan Dorsey of Sheboygan; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorials are appreciated in Diane’s name to St. Olaf Lutheran Church, the J.C. Hormel Nature Center or Friends of Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary in Sarona, Wisconsin.

A celebration of life will be held for Diane at a time to be announced later in the spring.