Patsy "Dianne" (Dugard) Decker

Patsy Dianne Decker passed away peacefully at the age of 80 on November 3, 2023. She was surrounded by her loving family and friends. She was born December 9, 1942 in Jasper, Alabama to Raymond and Anna Dugard. Her family moved to Fort Walton Beach, Florida, where she attended school and graduated from Choctawhatchee High School in 1961. She married her high school sweetheart, Edward F. Decker, spent a few years in New York and then found herself back in Fort Walton Beach, raising a family. Here she would live out her wonderful days. She retired from Eglin Federal Credit Union after thirty-one years and spent many years after helping out at the pawn shop with her dearest friends.

Dianne, also referred to as “Nina” and “Sissy”, had a huge personality; never met a stranger. She opened up her home to anyone that needed a warm meal, a holiday gift, or a place to lay their head for a few days.  She understood the biggest riches in life didn’t come from the money you make, but from the amount of love and kindness you can share with others.

When Dianne wasn’t working or helping others, you would find her in her favorite place in the kitchen baking or on the front porch drinking coffee and spending time with others. Every child in her life celebrated birthdays with one of her beautiful cakes. She also had a green thumb and could make just about anything grow in her yard. 

On Saturday mornings, you would often see her shopping garage sales or hosting garage sales just to get the family and neighbors together.  There was not a Christmas Eve over the last fifty-four years that Dianne did not open her house up to family, friends, neighbors, and strangers that needed a place to celebrate with her the love of Christ.

Dianne was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Anna Dugard; husband, Edward Decker; sister, Sandra Feldman; brother-in-law, Fred Feldman; and her childhood best friend, Edna D. Smith.  Diane is survived by her daughter, Dawn Ward (Scott Burns); grandson, Brandon Ward; granddaughters, Millie and Peyson; sister, Jan Mills (Charles); nieces and nephews, Heather Baker (Jason) and Jason, Ronnie Feldman, and Debbie Feldman; and great nieces, Madison, Savannah and Aspen Baker.

The family wishes to express our sincere appreciation to all friends and extended family members along with health care providers and facilities for all your loving care during her time of need.  

Celebration of life will be held at Davis-Watkins Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Road, Northeast, Fort Walton Beach, Florida on Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.

Any memorial donations can be made in Dianne’s name to American Cancer Society at donate.cancer.org 

Dance like nobody’s watching,

Sing like no one’s listening,

Love like you’ve never been hurt, and

Live like it’s Heaven on Earth

There is a time for everything.... a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing"    Ecclesiastes 3:3-6