Obituary of Diana Sylwia Ruggeri
Ruggeri, Diana (nee Rainczak)
Dear Family and Friends,
Today, November 30, 2025, marks the day our two beautiful daughters, Julianna and Makayla, lost their mother, and I lost my best friend, my soulmate, my partner in every sense of the word. For reasons I will never understand, God called Diana home today, choosing her to be an angel to watch over us. Her passing has left a wound so deep, so raw, that it feels impossible to imagine a world where it could ever fully heal.
It feels like only yesterday that Diana walked into my life. From the very first moment I saw her, I knew something extraordinary had happened—my life had shifted, and nothing would ever be the same. Our first date, nervous and unexpected, took place in a tiny family-owned Chinese restaurant in Covent Garden Market. We were the only ones there. I couldn't stop talking because I was anxious and overwhelmed by the wonder of her. She simply smiled, placed her hands gently on my cheeks, and told me to breathe. And in that instant, the world fell away. The noise, the worries, everything else vanished. There was only Diana.
Moments like that—moments that stop time—are usually reserved for stories and fairy tales. Yet with Diana, those moments were my everyday life. For twenty years, she brought that same calm, that same warmth, that same sense that I was exactly where I belonged. Together we built a beautiful, love-filled life, and God blessed us with our greatest gifts: Julianna and Makayla.
Diana was not just a mother—she was the heart of our home, the protector of our girls, the steady presence that made every ordinary moment feel safe. She loved them fiercely, like a mother bear guarding her cubs. She worried until everyone was home safe, and without fail, every "We're on our way home" text was met with her signature reply: "Be careful. Love you." Her love was constant, gentle, and powerful. It shaped our family. It shaped our daughters. It shaped me.
Everyone who knew her felt her kindness. It wasn't something she tried to show—it was simply who she was. She had a way of making people feel seen, welcomed, and appreciated. She inspired love just by being herself. Side by side, we worked toward our dream of living by the beach, raising our girls in the life we imagined together. And even in the hardest times, that dream kept us going.
On May 27, 2025, after years of fighting, during what would become our final chemo treatment, we heard the words that shattered our world: there was no cure. I will never forget that moment. My knees buckled. My heart broke. The hope we had carried for so long slipped out of reach.
Anyone who truly knew us understood the depth of my devotion to Diana. I adored her. I longed to be near her. I would have walked through fire for her without hesitation. People say time heals all wounds, but for me, time simply brings me one step closer to her. Diana was sweet, kind, graceful, funny, charming, and breathtakingly beautiful—inside and out. Watching her fight through a long and painful journey, staying strong for her family even as she suffered, was the most heartbreaking and humbling experience of my life. I have never felt more helpless, nor more in awe of her strength.
Diana was everything—my fairytale love, my anchor, my soulmate, the mother of our girls, and a loyal friend to anyone lucky enough to know her. You can see her in our daughters' eyes—her kindness, her courage, her beauty, her light. I wish she were here so I could tell her again how much I need her, how hard every day has been without her. I once feared dying—now I don't. One day, it will bring me one step closer to her. Until then, my purpose is to watch over our girls, to honour her by loving them the way she did, though I know I can never do it as effortlessly as she did.
Living without her terrifies me. Yet every sunrise brings me one day closer to the love of my life.
To our loyal and faithful family and friends who stood by us, and to the compassionate staff at St. Joseph Hospice who cared for her with dignity and tenderness, we extend our deepest gratitude. Your love and support carried us through the darkest moments of this journey.
Thank you.
Surrounded by her family and friends at St. Joseph's Hospice, on Sunday, November 30, 2025, Diana Ruggeri at the age of 52 years. Adored wife of Phil Ruggeri. Cherished and loving mother of Julianna and Makayla. Dear daughter of Irena and the late Zdzislaw Rainczak. Dear sister of Kordian (Courtney) Rainczak. Diana will be fondly remembered by the extended Ruggeri and Rainczak families and countless close friends.
Visitors will be received at John T. Donohue Funeral Home, 362 Waterloo Street at King Street, on Wednesday evening, December 3, from 5-8 o'clock. Prayers will be held at 7:45pm. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Michael's Church, 511 Cheapside Street, on Thursday, December 4 at 10 o'clock. Interment to follow in St. Peter's Cemetery. Donations to St. Joseph's Hospice, London, (https://www.sjhospicelondon.com/) would be appreciated.
