Diane Marie Bush Pomeranz

Diane Marie (Bush) Pomeranz, a devoted wife, loving stepmother and grandmother, and a nationally respected advocate for individuals with disabilities, was born on August 4, 1947, in St. Louis, Missouri. She passed away after a courageous journey with Frontotemporal Atrophy (FTA), surrounded by care and love.

She was a proud graduate of the University of Missouri in Columbia, where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority. In 1970, Diane earned her bachelor’s degree in social work, beginning a lifelong commitment to service, advocacy, and compassion for others.

Diane dedicated more than 40 years of her professional life to advancing the rights, dignity, and quality of life of individuals with intellectual and other disabilities. She served with distinction at the Missouri Department of Mental Health in St. Louis and later with the St. Louis County Productive Living Board. Her tireless determination, ethical leadership, and deep humanity earned her the respect and admiration of colleagues and families alike. Diane’s work was widely recognized within the disability community—not only across the state of Missouri, but on a national level—where her voice and influence helped shape more inclusive and humane systems of care.

Above all, Diane lived her values. She believed fiercely in the inherent worth of every person and devoted her life to ensuring that those most vulnerable were seen, heard, and supported.

Diane was preceded in death by her parents, Marjorie Haley Bush and Floyd Hayden Bush. She is survived by her beloved husband, Thomas E. Pomeranz, her stepmother, Margaret Hart, her three cherished stepdaughters, Amy Essley (Eric), Laura Crum (Brian), and Heather Taylor (Ron), and her grandchildren, Isabelle, Max, Delaney, Rylan, Fin, Josie, and Alysse.

Diane will be remembered for her compassion, strength, integrity, and unwavering commitment to justice and human dignity. Her legacy lives on through the countless lives she touched—professionally, personally, and lovingly—and through the family she so deeply cherished.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Indianapolis Humane Society at indyhumane.org/about/ways-to-give/.