Dianne Ella Caracappa was born September 27, 1940 to Ella (Flosi) Caracappa and Vito Caracappa in Eureka.

In 1958, Dianne was part of the 2nd class to graduate from St. Bernard High School. She graduated from Humboldt State College in 1961 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies (Social Science). She married Ray Luzzi in 1962 and they later had daughters Alisa and Gina.

Dianne was a life-long and enthusiastic learner. She took many classes throughout her life, including finance, art history, yoga, and painting. When she came home from her first painting class, her teenage daughters thought they’d have to dig deep to find positive things to say about her first work of art. But the small still life she brought home with its nuanced shading was beautiful! They were speechless.

She shared her enthusiasm for learning by becoming a teacher’s aide and substitute teacher at St. Bernard Elementary and Winship Junior High. She loved her students and no doubt remembered everyone’s names years after she taught them.

For all of her 85 years, Dianne was a devout member of St. Bernard parish. Her faith was strong and she lived it in a variety of ways. She welcomed others into the Catholic faith through her role as a leader of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults at St. Bernard Church for many years. She helped feed the hungry at St. Vincent de Paul Dining Facility, bringing along her young teen children to show them the importance of caring for those who had less. 

She provided care to those diagnosed with breast cancer by serving as the coordinator for the Reach to Recovery program. She extended that care to countless patients at St. Joseph hospital by volunteering in the gift shop for many years.

Dianne had a special place in her heart for elders, especially those who had known her parents. Continuing to connect with those friends was important to her and they were certainly thrilled to see her arrive every Christmas, bringing them homemade bourbon balls and other holiday goodies. She also regularly visited an elderly Italian man at Pacific convalescent home for several years, simply because he reminded her of her beloved father and had no family or friends left in the area. 

Dianne always loved animals, starting with her childhood dog Tobey, a cute little Beagle mix who used to dig up carrots in their garden. As an adult, she had 2 beloved Pomeranians and later rescued a scruffy older dog who she named Francis (after the saint). She had him only a matter of weeks before his passing, but loved him dearly. She welcomed a long line of feline friends to her home, concluding with her last cat, Sasha.

She loved to travel: Europe, Mexico, New York, New Orleans, and within California. Her favorite trips were to the blackjack tables in Reno. Never any big winnings, but always a lot of fun.

Having lived her entire life in Eureka, Dianne not only knew lots of people, but also who was related to whom, where they went to school, whose cousin was married to the brother of the neighbor down the street. She couldn’t go to the symphony or the grocery store without running into at least 1 person she knew, usually more. Her family knew all too well that when she spotted someone she knew, they should take a seat because it’d be another 20 minutes before she was ready to leave. Within all of those acquaintances, she was blessed with a network of dear friends who were very important to her, whether they talked frequently or only occasionally as the years went on. They made up her birthday groups, coffee socials, spiritual gatherings, and bridge partners. Of special note are Carla Munther, Nick Giannini, and Jim Matthias. She met all three of them in elementary school and those friendships endured for the rest of her life.

Dianne passed away on October 7, 2025. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ella and Vito Caracappa, her sister Florence D’Ambrosio, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and cherished friends. 

She is survived by daughters Alisa Luzzi and Gina Luzzi (Michelle Weston), ex-husband Ray Luzzi, the entire Luzzi family whom she loved dearly, and numerous nieces and nephews throughout the country. 

Many thanks to the tireless caregivers at St. Joseph Hospital, Fortuna Rehabilitation & Wellness Center, Granada Rehabilitation & Wellness Center, and Timber Ridge in McKinleyville. All of them attended to her with such love. A special thank you to her friend of 61 years, Jeanne Michael, for adopting Sasha.

A rosary will be held on Tuesday, October 28 at 11 a.m. at St. Bernard Church in Eureka, followed by a funeral Mass, which will conclude the formal services for the day. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society (www.donate.cancer.org) or Miranda’s Rescue (mirandasrescue.org/donate).