Diane Elaine Thomas McCort

Diane Elaine Thomas McCort (83) passed away on February 21, 2025, from advanced dementia.

Born in Akron, Ohio to parents who had emigrated from the Southern Balkans, Diane grew up in Firestone Park and was a proud graduate of Garfield High School’s Class of ’59, the “Last of the Presidents.” Spirited, curious, and tenacious, Diane left home to attend Miami University in Oxford, OH, where she earned her degree in education and history. Marriage and family intertwined with her first master’s (Counseling) from Kent State University. Recognizing the need to transform herself following a moment of personal crisis in her late 30s, Diane earned her Master’s in Architecture from the University of Colorado in Denver. Following years in the private sector, she worked as Assistant to the Senior Director of Facilities Planning and Construction and the University Architect at the University of Akron. Upon early retirement, Diane established Design Collaborative, a collaboration of female architects and design professionals, and served as president of the American Institute of Architects, Akron Chapter (AIA 1996).

A long-time resident of Bath Township, Diane found pleasure in tackling home landscaping projects and engaging with the beauty of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. She faced fear by becoming a certified scuba diver, and later, in her early 60s, found exhilaration by earning her private pilot’s license. Diane’s adventures on dry land took her to Machu Pichu in Peru, Mexico, Central Europe, South Korea, Hong Kong, and India, but it was her trips to her parents’ ancestral homes in the Republic of Macedonia and Northern Greece, spending time with extended family, which left an indelible mark on her spirit.

Preceded in death by her parents, Thomas L. Thomas (Atanas Lazo Tančev) and Pauline Kimson Thomas (Para Yakimovska), Diane is survived by her sister Marlene Thomas, former husband Thomas W. McCort, son Thomas M. McCort, daughter Gaelyn Aguilar, son-in-law Gustavo Aguilar, grandchildren Sarah and Tyler McCort, nephews Trevor and Theron Toney, cousins, friends, and Pi Beta Phi Sorority sisters. Diane will be missed by all who loved and cherished her.

Calling hours 4-7pm Wednesday, February 26,2025, at Ciriello & Carr Funeral Home, 39 S. Miller Rd. Fairlawn, OH 44333.

Funeral Liturgy 12pm Thursday, February 27, 2025, at St Thomas Eastern Orthodox Church, 555 S. Cleveland Massillon Rd. Fairlawn, OH 44333.

Entombment Rose Hill Burial Park. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to any non-profit organization that supports women’s equity in education and the workplace.

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