Diana Marie Benson

Lady Diana Marie (Duckwyler) Benson was born in Charleston, West Virginia on Saturday, March 27, 1954. She was the third of five children born to the union of Robert and Patricia Duckwyler. Both of her parents preceded her in death. Diana was raised to love God and faithfully attended Mount Zion Baptist Church in Spring Hill, West Virginia. She attended South Charleston High School and graduated with honors in 1972. She attended West Virginia State University. Diana loved and honored her parents. They instilled in her the value and importance of family. She treasured that lesson and it became the banner she carried throughout her life. From an early marriage, Diana was blessed with two beautiful daughters - Tricianne Michelle Pannell and Casilla Marie Pannell. It was Diana’s pursuit for greater opportunity for her daughters that brought her to Atlanta, Georgia in 1985. In Atlanta, Diana worked for The Coca-Cola Company for 27 years until her retirement in 2015. During her tenure she worked masterfully with graphics and design. She was serious about her craft and well respected because her work was outstanding and exceptional. In her later years with Coca-Cola, Diana was promoted to training and development. In her new role, Diana raised the bar and created new standards. She trained hundreds of Coca-Cola personnel across the nation to execute her standards with precision to achieve excellence consistently. She received numerous accolades for her outstanding achievements. Diana was active in her community and attended Salem Missionary Baptist. She also enjoyed sports. She was an avid softball player and a member of a bowling league. She enjoyed card games and shooting pool. While playing a game of pool, Diana met her future husband, Bobby Benson. Diana and Bobby were joined in Holy Matrimony on a beautiful, fall day in November 1991. With their union, two families united and also embraced their daughter, Roderica Hunter. For decades, the Benson’s opened their home and their hearts to family and friends. Their gatherings were always filled with great food, love, laughter and “mandatory fun-time.” The love, honor, respect and unity Bobby and Diana shared is legendary to all who know them. The Benson’s were happily married for 33 years … until Lady Diana Benson said goodbye to this world in the early morning hours of January 25, 2025. Diana’s lasting legacy is her love of family. With her beautiful smile and piercing eyes, she was a big fish in a small pond that made waves by touching and impacting the lives of her family spanning three generations. Diana’s life was a true reflection of the legacy given to her by her parents… to cherish her family and show them how to love and hold the family together. GOD, in his kind compassion, called Diana home on a cold winter’s morning leaving behind her devoted husband of 33-years, Bobby Benson; three beautiful daughters – Casilla Pannell-Burr (Robert) of Conyers, Georgia, Tricianne Pannell of Decatur, Georgia, Roderica Hunter of Heartwell, Georgia; four siblings – Robert Michael Duckwyler (Geraldine) of Detroit, Michigan, Iris Duckwyler of Decatur, Georgia, James Duckwyler (Barbara) of Dunbar, West Virginia, and Mark Duckwyler (Dawnzie) of South Charleston, West Virginia; seven grandchildren – Tashana Pannell, Natasha Burr, Tavaris Tiller, Tramar Hunter, Roderick Hunte, Zy’merria Hunter, Cordae Sims - all of Atlanta, Georgia; six great-grandchildren – Isaiah Curry, Isaac Mathews, Ivan Brown, Iyah Brown, Jaden Craft and Shalom Avraham and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. The Celebration of Life Service for Diana M Benson will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 3:00 PM This service will be recorded and streamed live. If the event is interrupted at any time due to technical issues, the entire event will be uploaded and available to view later in the day. Please copy and paste the link to share, or simply click on the link to view the event. https://vimeo.com/event/4878641

Tributes

Diana Marie Benson

March 27, 1954 - January 25, 2025