Diana Piroska Jenney Tyler passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 28, at her home in Katonah after a four-year battle with cancer. Born on September 21, 1948, in Orinda, California to Dr. Elliot Ross Jenney of London, England, and Katalin Maria Farkass of Pest, Hungary, Diana’s life was defined by a commitment to family, service, resilience, and a boundless zest for adventure.
Her father was a physician with the World Health Organization, so from five months old until she was nearly 20, Diana’s life was spent traveling across the globe. From Jakarta and Bangkok to São Paulo, Santiago, and Guatemala, she attended local schools, mastering six languages and embracing each new culture with curiosity and grace. At 19, while living in Guatemala, she signed with the Ford Modeling Agency and quickly gained fame throughout Central America, even starring in a popular telenovela.
After her father’s retirement, the family settled in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she briefly attended the University of Hawaii before moving to New York City to further her modeling career. In 1971, at the age of 22, she met and married Dean Gillette Van Nest, a successful advertising executive and widower, and became a devoted stepmother to Dean Jr. and Raymond. Together, Diana and Dean welcomed two more children, Ross and Kathleen, and built a vibrant family life in Manhattan and later Bronxville, New York.
In 1989, the family relocated to Naples, Florida, where Dean became a professor at the University of Miami. Despite the joys of family life, Diana faced profound loss: her stepson Raymond passed away from colon cancer in 1985, and her son Ross was tragically killed in a car accident in 1991. After 22 years of marriage, Diana and Dean amicably divorced, and she returned to the New York area to begin a new chapter.
On June 15, 1995, Diana married Barton P. Tyler and settled in Katonah, New York. Together, they purchased Kelloggs & Lawrence, a beloved local hardware store. Diana thrived as a business owner, broadening the store to include outdoor fashion and gifting, making K&L a shopping destination. She became a fixture in the community, earning national recognition with features on the store in the New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, and Country Living. She cherished her daily work and the connections she built with customers and neighbors alike.
Having recently celebrated their 30-year wedding anniversary, Diana and Bart shared a love of adventure, traveling the country in their Airstream and making memories on the open road. After nearly 25 years at Kelloggs & Lawrence, they sold the store in December 2021, closing a remarkable chapter in their lives.
Throughout her life, Diana’s energy was legendary and she instantly endeared herself to people. She had a gift for engaging with others; people gravitated to Diana and she befriended all. She served as President of the PTA in Bronxville, led the Point O’Woods Association on Fire Island, and provided interior upholstery services and early videography work in the 1980s. In her free time, she was an avid sailor and windsurfer, always eager to try something new. Her passion for service led her to volunteer with organizations such as Hospice (where she was recognized as Volunteer of the Year in 1988), Bedford-Katonah Tsunami Relief, and the Community Center of Northern Westchester in Katonah. She was also a co-founder of Bridges to Community, a nonprofit dedicated to community development in Latin America. For Diana, it was not just what she did in life, but how she did things that was remarkable.
Diana’s life was a testament to courage, compassion, and an irrepressible spirit. She leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and adventure that will live on in the hearts of her family, friends, and the many communities she touched. She is survived by her husband Bart Tyler, her daughter and son-in-law Kathleen and PJ Pierce, her stepson Dean (Van) Van Nest, Bart’s children Doug, Amelie, and Ben Tyler, and six beloved grandchildren: Kristen, Nicolas, Lola, Beckett, Pakal, and Shirley.
A memorial service will be on August 9, at the Bedford Presbyterian Church in Bedford, New York.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to Bridges to Community, and the Community Center of Northern Westchester.
