Diann Spoon Cumbie Siegele, aged 63, went to join our Lord and Savior and her loved ones in the early hours of July 27, 2024, at her home in Jacksonville, AR.
Diann Siegele had a remarkable gift of finding the goodness and potential in every human being she encountered. Diann saw beyond a person’s appearance, social standing and past mistakes. Her compassion was boundless.
There is no greater evidence of Diann’s boundless love, however, than her family, which include her children whom she adored, Michael, Marcia and Morgan Wyrick (Cumbie) Step-son Shawn Cumbie and Adopted Son A.J. Vaughn III; her beloved grandchildren, Heaven Bean (Vaughn), Midnite Bodiford, AJ Vaughn IIII, Olivia Vaughn, Emma Cumbie, Caige Seffernick, Nickalie Cumbie, and Evan Seffernick, Four Great-Grandchildren; and the scores of “adopted” children and adults who called her “mom” and “Mama Diann” over the years.
She was a harbor of acceptance and safety to so many children and adults facing instability, addictions and chaos – and a woman of action. She always had room in her heart and home for another person to love and support. She was quick to comfort and quick to start charting a plan to improve the situation. She was a hard worker and not afraid to advise others to take charge of their own well- being and direct them to work to make their own future better.
She displayed this remarkable trait in her 14 years of leadership in a recovery program where she mentored scores of people seeking help, in her decade-plus career mentoring and encouraging single parents attending college, and in her “circus of friends,” whom she hosted for holidays, family gatherings and totally random reasons to have a party!
Diann was born in Arlington, VA, on August 28,1960, to parents Dewey Lloyd and Mary Jo Spoon. She was the oldest of their four daughters. She moved with her first husband, Vance H. Cumbie, to Arkansas, and was widowed in 1998. Diann remarried William Siegele in 1999, to whom she was married until his death in 2019. Despite the loss of their father, Diann worked hard to provide a fun-filled, loving home for their three birth children – and anyone else who showed up in their lives!
As a single mom, Diann enrolled at Pulaski Technical College where she graduated with honors. She went on to work at the Single Parent Scholarship Program of Pulaski County in 2000 where over the next 13 years she encouraged, coached, laughed and cried with hundreds of moms who were attending college while parenting alone, just as Diann had done. She cared deeply about each scholarship recipient and had a bond with many of them until her death.
In 2012 Diann moved to a job at GSI, bringing her organization skills, numbers sense and reliability to benefit the manufacturing company through the years. GSI, a manufacturing company, meshed closely with Diann’s life philosophy. The GSI website proudly proclaims they “believe in second chances” and “providing people with the opportunity for redemption and transformation through gainful, supportive employment.” No wonder Diann found a home there for so many years.
While professionally Diann excelled, it was about 2010 that Diann found her true passion through involvement at recovery programs, first Celebrate Recovery and then the R U (Recovery United) program. Diann was able to use her Christian faith and big heart to help hundreds of others in need. She took on any role as needed, serving as small and large group leader many times and a sponsor for many.
Diann found a way to bring her joy of hosting parties and events to her friends in recovery and friends from That Church and Graves Memorial Baptist Church. Everyone, no, really – EVERYONE – was invited and included in events she planned. She organized numerous service activities such as outreach to homeless communities, an annual Gingerbread Extravaganza to make sure every child had the chance to make their own gingerbread house and Christmas gifts, tornado cleanup efforts and MANY others. These activities were in addition to the countless events she held at her home for holidays, regular Sunday dinners, and cheese tasting events. “Bring yourself, bring your friends, bring friends of friends, bring anyone in need of food and fun,” seemed to be her motto. Diann quickly added each of them to her beloved “Circus of Friends.”
She is preceded in death by her mother, Mary Jo Spoon, sisters Deborah Spoon & Ann Marie Vaughn, husbands Vance Cumbie & William Seigele, and adopted son AJ Vaughn III.
She is survived by her father, Dewey Lloyd Spoon, sister Sharon Stevers, children Michael Cumbie, Marcia Cumbie, & Morgan Wyrick (Cumbie), stepson Shawn Cumbie, grandchildren Heaven Bean (Vaughn), Midnite Bodiford, AJ Vaughn IIII, Olivia Vaughn, Emma Cumbie, Caige Seffernick, Nickalie Cumbie and Evan Seffernick. Four great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, and a Circus of friends & loved ones.
In keeping with Diann’s spirit of inclusiveness, everyone is invited to celebrate her life on Saturday August 10th at 2pm, Graves Memorial Baptist Church, 4617 Oak Grove Rd, North Little Rock, AR 72118
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Women’s Ministry at the Dorcas House c/o Union Rescue Mission Little Rock.
Donate | Union Rescue Mission (urmissionlr.org)
823 S. Park Street | Little Rock, AR
Phone (501) 374-4022 Ext. 3
Arrangements by A Natural State Funeral Service 2620 West Main Street, Jacksonville, Arkansas 72076. 501-982-3400. Online guestbook available at www.anaturalstatefuneralservice.com
7 Comments
You was an amazing woman. Thank you for all the loved you always gave out freely.
I truly do not know what would have happened to my kids and me if Diann hadn’t taken us in and helped me! I’m so grateful to God for her! She was so loving and always ready to serve God by helping hurting people and pointing them to Christ.
Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund offers our sincere condolences on the loss of this remarkable woman. Sending thoughts and prayers to her loved ones and everyone whose life she touched.
I was so lucky to serve with her on mission trips and downtown. She gave me some of the best life advice several times over the years. She poured into Corey and I and we will miss her so.
Diane was my first friend at That Church in 2009….Love you my friend…
Diann was a gift sent to all who knew her. The gift I’m receiving now is how profound she was an instrument of Gods love and care for all. No matter how much we mess up He let’s us know we can turn around and He still loves us. It’s also a reminder how much difference we can make for good. I miss her so much yet I’m glad she’s is in Jesus presence always now.
I was a classmate from Stafford High school in Stafford VA 1978 with Diann. We are very saddened to hear of Diann’s passing. Praying for her family She was a great friend and classmate.
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