On Wednesday, May 27th, 1964, we were blessed with the arrival of an angel. A beautiful and spunky girl, Diane, completed the puzzle for Johnnie and William Hobbs, joining her siblings Dennis and Deborah.

Diane, a proud Houstonian with a country heart, cherished her upbringing in the Spring Branch area. Her childhood was filled with fond memories, from stories of mischief with her sister to adventures of tapping her grandpa's bull with the truck and cruising around on dirt bikes with her daddy. Music was a constant in her life, with Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn playing on repeat. Yet, her ultimate joy came from her faith in the Lord and being with her family. She always knew Christ but accepted Christ during an old-fashioned altar call as a pre-teen.

As she grew older, her dreams shifted to young love. While she once aspired to be a singer, meeting Kenny Rivera in school changed everything. Their love story unfolded at Dean Middle School and Jersey Village High School, creating lasting memories and lifelong friendships. A favorite tale involved Kenny interrupting the drill team line to share a kiss with Diane, a moment she would gladly relive despite the consequences.

After high school, their adventures continued. They briefly lived in Waco but returned to Houston by age 21, establishing a loving home for their "3 precious babies" - Kortney, Kolby, and Kenneth. Diane's life revolved around supporting her children in softball, baseball, football, choir, band, and dance. In 2009, she welcomed her fourth "precious baby," granddaughter, Talia. Diane supported Talia in dance, gymnastics, volleyball, and choir. Yes, she was a helicopter parent and fiercely protective over each one of her children.

Diane worked for over 30 years in the mortgage industry, beginning as a processor and ending as the Director of Condos at Cornerstone Home Lending (now Cornerstone Capital Bank). Diane and her family have the greatest thanks to Cornerstone for their love, support, and understanding throughout her tenure there. We could not have asked for better in a company to walk so Christ-like with our family through the end of her life. Her team members are truly her second family, and, yes, she was a helicopter parent and fiercely protective over each of those children too. Diane was extremely thankful for being able to share her faith and prayers with each Condo team member and her Cornerstone family.

In 2012, Diane faced the challenge of Thymus Cancer. Undeterred in her faith, she fought and triumphed in Christ over the disease 11 times. Her strength was astounding; she worked tirelessly throughout, using every opportunity to spread her love of Christ. Her mantra was, "If I die, I get to go to Heaven. If I live, I get to be with y'all. We were born beautiful not rich." Throughout every obstacle, Diane read her Bible every morning, attended as many Bible studies as possible, was devoted to prayer and a member of the Church Story prayer team until the very end.

On January 28th, 2024, Diane received her golden ticket, peacefully passing away at home surrounded by family. Her final wish was for everyone to find happiness, spread joy, and love one another in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

She is survived by her partner of 46 years and husband of 41 years, Kenny Rivera, and her children: Kortney (38), Kolby (36), Kenneth (34), and granddaughter Talia (14).

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Two Lives Changed in her honor at www.twoliveschanged.org