Heart of the Matter – Go in peace, DMK. We will miss you.

By Tom Kocal, publisher

A little bit of the heart and soul of this newspaper was taken from this earth Saturday morning. Long-time reporter and friend, Diane Komiskey, passed away as the result of a tragic motorcycle accident.

Diane started to work at The Prairie Advocate in December of 1989, not long after the evolution of this paper began - from a 4-page shopper called “The Advertiser” with a circulation of 900, to a legal newspaper distributed free to Carroll County. She had resigned from another area paper, and she told me that as a person who has called Lanark home for all but 10 of her 40 years, she preferred to work for her hometown paper. She started as a part-time reporter, but became full-time in 1993.

DMK became an integral part of the growth and development of this paper for almost 8 years. After a stint at another newspaper as a free-lance writer, she rejoined the PA up until she was offered the position of Executive Director of the Jo-Carroll LRA.

I was always pleased that Diane was considered for the LRA position, as she had reported on the events at the former army depot for The Prairie Advocate from the beginning. I knew that there was no one that knew the LRA as well as she did, and that there was no better person to take on the challenges there.

Diane was a true professional. Her accuracy in reporting and attention to detail earned her the respect of not only her peers in the media, but of every government official and business person that she ever interviewed or wrote about. One of her pet peeves when reporting at any open meeting was when an alderman, or mayor, or school board member would say - after the fact - “Now Diane, don’t you put that in the paper!” Very rarely did she use the wayward comment, out of respect for the person that blurted it out. When she had to use the comment, she still wrote the story in a factual, non-vindictive manner.

Diane loved Carroll County. She loved being a part of its potential. Diane had just been elected to serve as President of the Carroll County Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) a few months before the accident. As always, she was looking forward to the challenges that faced Carroll County and Northwestern Illinois.

We all know that death is a part of life. I think the pain and heartache that goes with the passing of a loved one is simply a reminder that we are alive - we can still feel. Life goes on. We can’t let her down, Carroll County. Life is too short.

Go in peace, DMK.

Diane M. Komiskey

Diane Marie Komiskey, 60, of Lanark, passed away at home on August 21, 2010 surrounded by her family.

She was born on December 17, 1949 in Freeport, IL, daughter of Patrick “Pat” and Dorothy (Knauer) McCue. Diane and James “Jim” Komiskey were married on August 12, 1972, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Savanna, IL. They enjoyed 38 loving years together and raised two wonderful children.

Jim and Diane started their married life in Pittsburg, PA where Jim pursued an education in aircraft mechanics and earned an Airframe and Powerplant mechanics license. Then they moved to Grand Rapids, MI where Jim worked at the airport and Diane worked at a Kemper Insurance Agency. A few years after the birth of their daughter, Kathleen, they moved to Lanark, IL.

Diane continually sought out new challenges with gusto. She valued each day as an opportunity to learn about and conquer something new. The kind words of encouragement she received from people she worked with were the fuel for her fire to take on each new challenge with confidence. Over the years Diane worked as an aide and educator, legal office manager, tourism and marketing counselor, reporter at both The Freeport Journal-Standard and The Prairie Advocate. Most recently she worked as the Executive Director of the Jo-Carroll Depot LRA.

She has also been a member of the Jo-Carroll Habitat for Humanity Family Selection Committee, an Eastland School Board Member, and a Sunday school teacher at St. Wendelin in Shannon.

Diane enjoyed motorcycle trips with her family and friends, gardening, photography, annual trips to Chicago with ‘the girls,’ dancing with her husband, attending plays at the Timber Lake Playhouse, appreciating great art, both from Impressionist masters and local artists, and listening to classical music. She was a member of SS John & Catherine Church of Mt. Carroll and active in many church activities including the Ladies Society and Ladies of the Knight organizations.

Diane will be dearly missed by her husband, Jim Komiskey (Lanark), mother, Dorothy McCue (Lanark), sister, Charlotte (Ron) Atherton (Thomson), children Kathleen (Steffin) Griswold (Minneapolis, MN) and Martin (Dawn) Komiskey (Loves Park), grandchildren Jacob, Jordee and Jace Watkins, nieces and nephews, Amanda, Christine, Emily, Garrett, J. J., Jacob, Jennifer, Kristen, Megan and Ryan.

Preceding her in death is her father Patrick McCue.

A Funeral Mass will be held 10 am Friday, August 27, 2010 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Savanna. Burial will be in St. John’s Catholic Cemetery, Savanna. Visitation will be held 4 - 8 pm Thursday, August 26, 2010 at the Frank-Law-Jones Funeral Home, Mt. Carroll. Online condolences and tributes may be sent to the family at www.lawjonesfuneralhome.com.

As Diane was fond of saying “flowers are for the living.” In honor of her memory please share flowers with a loved one or a shut-in in your area and think of her. Donations may be made in Diane’s name to National MS Society, Timber Lake Playhouse, a local hospice organization or a charity of your choice.

A heartfelt thank you to all those who have sent cards, offered thoughts and prayers for Diane and her family and prepared food to share during this time. The spiritual, emotional and physical gifts have been so uplifting and appreciated more than words can adequately express. Also thanks go out to Mt. Carroll ambulance crew, Life Flight OSF crew, St. Anthony Hospital of Rockford and the doctors, nurses and staff of that institution, especially those in NTICU, and Hospice of Rock River Valley who have all served us since Diane’s tragic accident.