Diane Mardee (Tomasello) Graves

Diane Mardee (Tomasello) Graves

October 9, 1941 - March 17, 2026

Diane Graves, an avid collector of good friends and dolls, died peacefully in Santa Rosa, California, on March 17, 2026. Diane was born in San Francisco, the only child of Matthew (Marty) and Helen Tomasello. An excellent student, Diane graduated from Balboa High School in 1959. She married her high school sweetheart, Herb Graves, in 1962, and lived in Daly City until moving to Santa Rosa in 1972. 

Diane loved to say that one of her talents in life was making friends, and she had many of them — some going back as far as middle school. Diane also loved dolls. She traveled often to doll conventions hosted by the United Federation of Doll Clubs and eventually had hundreds of dolls in her Rincon Valley home. She also loved paper dolls and was a member of a collectors group called The Tab Hunters. From a young age, Diane was a huge fan of Shirley Temple and attended several fan-sponsored Shirley Temple birthday celebrations in Southern California.

After raising her children, Diane returned to paid work in the mid-1980s when a seasonal job at a women’s clothing store in Montgomery Village turned into a 18-year retail career that included managing the store, known as Barbara Friday.

Diane’s life took another unexpected turn in 2017, a year after the death of her husband, Herb. Mutual friends introduced Diane to Dave Thomasson of Santa Rosa, who had also lost his spouse in 2016. Diane and Dave enjoyed a loving companionship that lasted until her death.

Most of all, Diane loved being a grandmother to her grandchildren, Adriana and Brandon.

Diane is survived by her children, Dana Beschta (David) of Pleasanton and Scott Graves (Delfina Vargas) of Sacramento; her grandchildren, Brandon Beschta and Adriana Graves Vargas; her cousin Phil Litchenstein and his children, Ashley and Michael; and her cousin Marcia Summers and her children, Donielle and Marc. Diane was preceded in death by her parents and by her husband of 54 years, Herb Graves. 

The family is deeply appreciative to the nurses in the ICU and in the East Wing at Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital for their compassionate care. The family is also grateful for the excellent care provided by the staff at Pine Ridge Terrace, where Diane lived during the last seven months of her life.

Memorial donations may be made to Canine Companions (canine.org) or a charity of your choice.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Diane Mardee (Tomasello) Graves, please visit our floral store.