SPENCER - VASSALLO, Diane

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Wednesday, August 10, 2011 Diane Vassallo, 74, of Chino Valley, Ariz., born Jan. 5, 1937, in Sacramento, Calif., passed away Aug. 9, 2011, in Prescott. Services to be at a later date. Arrangements by Chino Valley Funeral Home. ~~~~~~~~ The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Saturday, September 03, 2011 Diane Vassallo, 74, of Chino Valley, Ariz., passed away peacefully at a hospice facility in Prescott, Ariz., on Aug. 9, 2011, with her husband Nick at her bedside. The cause of death was lung cancer. Born Jan. 5, 1937, in Sacramento, Calif., daughter of Walter and Tomoye Tsukamoto, she was the youngest of five siblings. Most of her childhood years were spent in Sacramento and Berkeley, Calif., with the exception of time spent at Tule Lake, Calif., a relocation camp for families of Japanese ancestry during World War II. She graduated from Berkeley High School in 1955. She married Roger Spencer in 1962 in New York and was blessed with four lovely daughters, Lisa, Deborah, Suzanne and Joy. In 1969, she attended Adelphi Business Schools in New York and successfully completed courses in typing, shorthand, business English, bookkeeping, business machines and office procedures. She put her new skills to good use, working as a secretary in New York City. She separated from Roger Spencer in 1972 and their divorce was final in 1983. She continued to live in New York until her youngest daughter finished high school. Diane lived in New York for 25 years before returning to California in 1982 to reside with her mother in Cupertino and continue her career as a secretary. She was employed by Amdahl Corp. in Sunnyvale in 1982 and, during her 20 years there, she continued to advance herself, ending her career as a personal secretary to a vice president. Diane was a team player, willing to take responsibility, always wanting to help out. Her personality was enjoyed by all and her laugh was infectious. In 1985, at a singles square dance club, she met and then fell in love with Nick Vassallo, her husband-to-be. Diane married Nick in 1986. Their first home was purchased and built in 1987 in San Jose and lived in until 2002. Another home was built in Chino Valley, Ariz., in 2002, and this is where she enjoyed her retirement years with her beloved husband until her passing. Diane was a wonderful person. She was a loving supportive and devoted wife, a loving mother and stepmother, a loving grandmother, and she dearly loved her pets, Clyde, Bonnie and Chelsea (all basset hounds, predeceased), and her cat named Gypsy. She enjoyed the outings with her friends going to movies, garage sales, Bunco parties, Red Hat events, shopping, and just visiting and having a good time laughing and cutting up. She liked assembling puzzles. She also liked to garden, growing roses and other types of flowers. She enjoyed riding the neighbor's horses. She was a sports fan, enjoying football and basketball games played by the Arizona Cardinals and the Phoenix Suns. Diane loved attending family functions and going on vacation to visit her daughters and grandchildren, her siblings and cousins. Diane is survived by husband Nick Vassallo of Chino Valley; daughter Lisa Kirschner of New York, and her children Daniel Buckman, Mallory Buckman, Suzanne Kirschner and Aiden Kirschner; daughter Deborah and husband Louis Capparelli of Illinois and their children, Christopher DeHart, Leah Capparelli, Jennifer Capparelli and Hannah Capparelli; son-in-law Jeff Bayer of Georgia and his children, Ryan, Derrick and Katie; daughter Joy and husband Simon Hughes of Pennsylvania and her children, Eric Davis, Aaron Davis and Brian Davis; brother Richard Tsukamoto of California; brother Donald Tsukamoto of California; sister Doris Kobayashi of California; brother Dave Tsukamoto of Arizona; and many other nephews, nieces and cousins, too numerous to list. Diane was predeceased by her daughter Suzanne Bayer, who passed away in September 2010. A memorial service for Diane will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011, at the Chino Valley Funeral Home, 480 W. Palomino Road, Chino Valley, Ariz. A reception will follow at 918 Tiffany Way in Chino Valley. Anyone who wishes to make a donation in memory of Diane can do so to the Lung Cancer Alliance, P.O. Box 418372, Boston, MA 02241-8372. Diane, my beautiful wife and sweetheart, you are in heaven now, and will always be in my heart and thoughts forever. We all miss you and you will never be forgotten. Chino Valley Funeral Home assisted with the arrangements. Information provided by survivors.