Diane Antonina Barrie, 88, passed away peacefully, with her devoted husband Jim (of 58 years) by her side, on November 4, 2025, at Morningstar Senior Living Memory Care in Lone Tree, Colorado. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on June 20th at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Turton. Father Scott Miller will officiate. Inurnment will follow in the Turton Cemetery under the direction of Paetznick-Garness Funeral Chapel, Groton.
Diane had an extraordinary life full of love and adventure. She was born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 30, 1937, to Harriet and Paul Erengis. She was the 3rd oldest of 6 children. Diane was a tomboy as a child and had always been very independent with an adventurous spirit.
After graduation from high school, at the age of 18, that sense of adventure took her on a road trip across the country with girlfriends to California, where she took a job at Yosemite National Park. She eventually settled in Los Angeles, graduated from UCLA with a degree in education, and was active in the young adult club at her local Catholic church where she had many friends and met the love of her life, Jim Barrie. They married in June of 1967, and moved to Torrance, California, where they would raise their three children, Debbie, Jeffrey, and Jennifer, and live for over 40 years.
Diane had a wide variety of interests and hobbies. She enjoyed baking and was known for the wide assortment of Christmas cookies she faithfully baked every year and her pies, which are family favorites. She loved the beach, the mountains, camping, fishing, traveling, and horseback riding and also had a love of the arts, including movies, theater, and music. She volunteered at a nearby performing arts center in Southern California, as an usher and was able to enjoy the theater performances at the same time. She played the guitar and ukulele, was in a ukulele group for many years, and sang in the church choir. She was also a huge fan of Judy Garland her whole life, starting at the age of 4 when her older brother George took her to see the Wizard of Oz in the theater.
In 2010, Diane and Jim embarked on one final big adventure with a move to Castle Rock, Colorado, another western state she dreamt of living, to be near their oldest daughter and her family. During her years in Colorado, she enjoyed attending many of her 3 grandsons’ activities, going to fitness classes and movies, playing in a ukulele group, biking, walking at local parks, and even taking up bowling with Jim.
Diane is preceded in death by her parents, her brother George, and sisters Judy and Kathy. She is survived by her husband, Jim; children, Debbie (John) Faragallah, Jeffrey Barrie, and Jennifer Barrie; grandsons Tyler, Aaron, and Tristan Faragallah; granddaughters Lily and Antonina Barrie; sisters Beth (Chris) Kalamatas and Christine Morley.
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