Diana M Sobel

Diana Mae Sobel grew up in Philadelphia, PA surrounded by extended family members and friends.

Diana was a wonderful wife to Frank Sobel, daughter to Isabelle and Al Forman, sister to Myrna Leighton, daughter-in-law to Ida Sobel, sister-in-law to Phyllis Schneier, and aunt to Susan, Gary, Jay, and Robbie.

When Diana married Frank, they had a wonderful honeymoon in Mexico.  Niece Susan still fondly holds on to some of the souvenirs that were brought home from that trip and proudly displays them in her home.

Diana filled her days with part-time work and an extensive social life with her friends.  Some of her favorite activities (hobbies!!) were shopping, shopping, and even shopping!  She loved wearing the latest clothes and jewelry.  Speaking of jewelry, she was a huge collector of cat pins, following the point in time when they adopted Princess – a grey point Siamese kitty who was spoiled her entire life!  Most recently, Diana’s cat Pumpkin was the ultimate, be-all Feline leader of her home!

Diana also loved family get-togethers with Frank’s sister’s family and with Diana’s sister Myrna’s family.  She especially loved getting together for outings with the Leighton’s on their boat in Somers Point for cruising and fishing. Even more than that was her enjoyment to go shopping with her sister Myrna and her niece Susan.  Susan used to spend a week with Diana and Frank each summer, filling the days and evenings with shopping, going to mini golf, going deep-sea fishing with Uncle Frank, going to the horse races with Uncle Frank, swimming at the development pool with Susan, and going to the amusements in Keansburg, NJ.  Gary, Ed, and Frank also took a number of fishing trips together.   And no matter what, we ALWAYS heard about the one that “got away” and we always saw with a show of hands how large that fish was.  Diana and Myrna were never convinced!

Diana, Frank, Myrna, and Ed also took a very memorable driving vacation to North Carolina to visit first cousins from Isabel’s side of the family.

In the more recent years, Diana enjoyed watching Myrna’s grandchildren grow up – Michael, Chris, Alexis, and Josh.  Like Gary and Susan, everybody called Aunt Diana “Nana” – supposedly because we couldn’t pronounce “Aunt Diana” when we were growing up.  Some of us still remember singing words like this “Nana Nana bofana banana nana bofana fee fi fofana – NANA”

Although she had medical issues throughout, Diana always had a smile for anybody she was speaking with and always took the time for a thoughtful conversation.  It’s been a long wait, but Frank, Isabelle, and Al will welcome Diana with open arms in peace…..

Diana is survived by her sister Myrna Leighton, her niece Susan Leighton, her nephew Gary Leighton and Gary’s wife Kathy, Susan’s children Alexis and Josh, Gary and Kathy’s children Mike and Chris, and her deceased husband Frank Sobel’s nephews Jay and Robert Schneier and their families.