DIANE AITKEN LANGWITH-MCFALL
1931-2019
Diane passed away peacefully on Thursday, the 20th of June 2019, in the company of her husband, Carew McFall.
She was a life-long Houstonian who enjoyed regular lunches with a group of her kindergarten classmates that continued for over 80 years after they first met at Poe Elementary. She graduated from Lamar High School and earned a B.A. in Art History from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. In her junior year, she studied in Europe with Professor Frank Parker, igniting her love of travel and art. Always the adventurer, she once swam across the Mississippi River and back for fun. She was happily married for 59 years to Ed Langwith, a partner in a local architectural firm, who preceded her in death in 2012. Diane was a fun and devoted mother to her three children, who survive her: John and his wife Laurel in Omaha, Sarah and her husband Michael in Sedona, and Elizabeth in New York City. Her grandchildren (Christy, Casey, Peter and Pico) and great-grandson (Caden) also survive her. Diane and Carew married in 2013, sharing a love for bridge and travel.
Her parents Christy and Melvin Aitken were founders of an oil and gas supply company where Diane worked as the office manager until retiring at the age of 40. She was a woman of many interests that she pursued with enthusiasm: an entrepreneur partnering in a specialty food business, a volunteer at Bluebird Circle and the Guild Shop, a tennis player, and an active member of gardening and investing clubs. She was a founding member of Seventh Church of Christ Scientist, serving on the Board of Trustees and in many other positions.
Diane’s two special passions were the decorative arts and travel. She served for many years as a docent at Miss Ima Hogg’s home, The Bayou
Bend Collection and Gardens of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. She was only the fourth docent to receive a 40-year service pin and held many leadership roles, including Chair of the Docent Organization. She also organized dozens of trips for the docents around the United States to view historic homes and gardens. Diane attended the prestigious Addingham Summer School in England for professional curators studying English country estates, and traveled extensively across six continents.
Throughout her life, Diane amassed an extraordinary number of friends attracted by her boundless energy, her generosity of spirit, intelligence, wit and unfailing optimism.
Friends are cordially invited to gather with the family and share remembrances of Diane during a reception to be held from ten o’clock in the morning until twelve o’clock noon on Saturday, the 13th of July, in the grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.
A private inurnment will be held at Glenwood Cemetery.
In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to the Bayou Bend Docent Accessions Endowment, Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, PO Box 25026, Houston, TX 77265-5026; or to the charity of one’s choice.
Please visit Diane’s online memorial tribute at geohlewis.com where words of comfort and condolence may be shared electronically with her family.