Diane Elizabeth Oetting

Diane Elizabeth Oetting, 60, of Montgomery died Dec. 6 at home after a lingering illness. She had the heart of a volunteer and spent her life with a mission of teaching and helping others.

She had a long career as an educator with the Texas Realtors, Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Medical Association of the State of Alabama. At MASA, she was director of Continuing Medical Education.

In recent years she discovered a passion for the food service industry at Chappy’s Deli in Montgomery. She became a familiar friendly face to countless customers through greeting and serving, especially at the Perry Hill Road location, and while feeding volunteers at the Alabama National Fair each fall. She especially enjoyed working at Chappy’s annual Breakfast for Babies event and occasionally dressing as a turkey for the restaurant’s Thanksgiving food deliveries.

Diane loved to travel and, as an educator, believed in lifelong learning. She once summed up some of her lessons from traveling the world: Cook as well as Moroccans, be as friendly as Cubans, be as peaceful as the animals in Africa.

She volunteered at Covid vaccine centers in 2020 and was recognized with the Covid Community Hero award by the HandsOn River Region for her work. She taught customer service to teen-agers at Montgomery’s That’s My Child.

One of Diane’s favorite memories was of participating in a the 50th anniversary re-enactment of the Selma-to-Montgomery March in 2015, during which she made friends from around the country that she kept for the rest of her life.  She gave the prestigious Sonia Sands Lecture at the University of Iowa detailing her experience on the march.  https://clas.uiowa.edu/religion/resources/events/sonia-sands-lecture-people-move-continuing-fight-justice

Diane was a graduate of JD High School in Montgomery and University of St. Thomas in Houston.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Lt. Col. George and Pat Oetting and will be greatly missed by loving family and friends across the world. 

A memorial reception will be held Sunday January 14 from 2-4 PM at the Montgomery Zoo.   If you wish  please make a donation to the zoo: https://www.montgomeryzoo.com/plan-your-visit/about-us/make-a-donation/donate

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