Diane Elizabeth Theresa (Primmerman) Hernandez, a long-time resident of Lowell, died peacefully at the D'Youville Life & Wellness Community on Friday morning, September 8. It was a week after her 24th wedding anniversary to her beloved late husband, Dr. Jesus Heli Hernandez, and a couple of weeks shy of her 74th birthday.

Diane was born in Medford, Massachusetts, on September 21, 1949; the second and youngest child of the late Charles J 'Pete' Primmerman and Marie Elizabeth 'Betty' (Nylander) Primmerman. She grew up in Bedford, Massachusetts; she and her family also spent summers on Cape Cod at the home of her grandfather, the late Hugo L Nylander, in Pocasset, Massachusetts.

After graduating from Bedford High School, Diane went on to earn a degree at Aquinas Junior College in Milton, Massachusetts. She then pursued a life-long career as a secretary and office manager; her final position was working for Professor Hilary I Inyang at UMASS/Lowell before retiring in 1999.

Diane was a woman of many passions: she felt a deep connection to all creatures great and small, and from the time she was a little girl she was never without at least one pet cat. She was an avid cook and was constantly looking for new techniques, recipes, and flavors to try. She was a gifted artist, creating beautiful and practical ceramics. She enthusiastically carried on her family tradition of knitting. She was a phenomenal storyteller, with a poetic use of language when writing and a variety of voices and performances when reading books to her children and grandchildren. She loved music, art, Shakespeare, fashion, dance, and Egyptian, Japanese, and English history. She adored movies, television mysteries, mystery novels: stories which challenged her to work out what was really going on and figure out whodunit. She had a life-long love of learning that was infectious: she believed that you should try to learn something new every single day. Diane was bright, thoughtful, loving, caring, supportive, an excellent listener, and so incredibly kind.

Diane is survived by her two sons: Brian C Sparrow of Lowell, MA, and Adam H Sparrow, his wife Laura, and daughter Amélie of Portland, OR. Her two stepchildren: Bianca T Hernandez, her husband José, and son J Heli 'Helicito' II of Lowell, MA; and Sean A Hernandez, his wife Jessica, daughter Evergreen, and son Jalisco of Hollis, NH. Her brother, Charles A Primmerman and his wife Christa of Bedford, MA. Her two nieces: Cynthia F Setton, her husband Ami, daughter Charlotte, and son Ryan of Glen Rock, NJ; and Cordelia M Roth, her husband Andrew, son Sean, and daughters Yvette and Victoria of Pocasset, MA.

Funeral services are private.

In lieu of flowers, Diane's family kindly requests that you make a charitable donation in her memory to a no-kill animal shelter in your area, or to the Northeast Animal Shelter: 347 Highland Avenue, Salem, MA 01970. Their phone number is (978)745-9888; you can also donate via their website at www.neas.org. A memorial tree or trees would also be a wonderful way to honor her memory.