HARDWICK - I, Diane (Hanson) Cusson, 72, grew up in East Hampton, CT., a small rur- al town and died on May 27, 2015. I met my husband, Kenneth "Ken" Cusson, in Man- chester, CT. I graduated from Manchester High School, Class of 1960. While Ken was home on leave in 1963 from the Air Force, he called me. We started dating and I wrote daily letters. I dedicated "Since I Fell for You" by Lenny Welch to him on radio station WDRC in Hartford. He could pick up the station while at Loring Air Force Base in Maine. I got a phone call on New Year's Eve of that year and he proposed marriage. We got married on June 13, 1964 and have been partners and friends for 51 years. We went back to Maine for our honeymoon in my 1954 red Chevrolet with $50. Besides my hus- band, I leave two sons, Mathew and Mark of Southington, CT. and three granddaugh- ters, Theresa, Sydney and Stephanie and a grandson, Nicholas. I also leave two sisters, Suzanne Paracino of Manchester, Conn. and Paulette and brother-in-law, Fred Sher- man of NY and several nieces and nephews.

I became involved with PTA, Scouts and sports. I always sent my sons to school with homemade lunches and attended their sport and school events. I was involved with the area voc tech school and served as vice chair of the PTA.

I helped with the family income by working for an eye doctor and other jobs including personnel director at Cheney Brothers and payroll at Manchester Memorial Hospital. I was the last person working when Cheney Brothers closed its doors.

In 1994, after Ken retired from the Manchester Fire Department, we moved from Conn. to Hardwick. We cleared land, built a barn and house. Together, we moved rocks on our StoneyField Farm. We raised chickens and cows, grew vegetables and berries. When I heard about the Barre Farmers' Market, we joined other local farmers, producers and crafts people every Saturday morning during spring through early fall on Barre Com- mon. I loved meeting all the people at the farmers' market. It was more about the so- cialization than the money. I also worked at the Hardwick Post Office and other post offices as postmaster relief and as a poll worker. I got to know many people and re- membered their names, weddings, children's name and even grandchildren's name.

I grew up as an Episcopalian, but I converted to Catholicism ten years ago. I served Christ as a lectern, on the parish wide committee, Eucharistic minister, worked on suppers and church fairs at St. Thomas-a-Becket Church in South Barre. Here, I found my church family. A highlight of my life was a pilgrimage to Rome with a South Carolina Diocese. I had the privilege of giving the first and second readings at St. Peter's Basilica. Ken and I had a private audience with Pope Benedict.