Civic Leader Diana Peters Dies at Age 46

Diana Peters, 46, a civic leader and former superintendent of schools, has died of ovarian cancer.

Born in Joliet, Ill., Peters earned a doctorate in education from Northern Illinois University.

After working as a teacher and educational administrator in the Midwest for several years, she became assistant superintendent of schools in Huntington Beach in 1984. In 1986, she was promoted to superintendent, a position she held until 1990.

Since then, she had worked as a consultant and written newspaper columns about education.

Peters served on the boards of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands Conservancy, Orange County Child Development Committee, Women’s Roundtable of Orange County and the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce.

In 1990, she was named Woman of the Year for the 58th District by the California Legislature, and she received the Huntington Beach Soroptimist Woman of Distinction Award.

She is survived by her husband of 23 years, Bruce; her mother, Margaret Tonelli; five sisters, Joan Garavaglia, Pansy VandeSteeg, Rosemary Conrad, Celia Scwab and Nola Brick; and a brother, Karo Tonelli.

Visitation will be Friday, 1 to 7 p.m., at Pierce Bros./Smith Mortuary in Huntington Beach. A funeral Mass will be said Saturday at 8 a.m. at St. Bonaventure Church in Huntington Beach, with burial following at 10 a.m. in Pacific View Memorial Park, Newport Beach. Instead of flowers, donations should be sent to the Diana Peters USC Student Leadership Scholarship, USC Orange County Chapter, 2301 Campus Drive, Irvine, Calif. 92715.