Dianne L. Knipe

PRINCETON - Dianne Louise (Lauzon) Knipe, loving wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully on Monday morning, February 23, 2026, after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

She leaves behind her devoted husband of 28 years, Howard William Knipe Sr. of Princeton; her adoring children, daughter Kara Grace Knipe of Princeton and son Howard William Knipe Jr. of Holden; and her beloved granddaughter, the apple of her eye, Julianna Elizabeth Knipe. She also leaves her much-loved granddogs, Clara and Tuco.

Dianne is survived by her sister Donna Soltys of Lynn, MA; her brother William Lauzon and his wife Joanne of North Andover, MA; her brother Daniel Lauzon and his wife Maureen of North Lebanon, ME; and her sister-in-law Sharon (Knipe) Sansoucy of Grafton, MA and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother-in-law David Soltys of Lynn, and her sisters-in-law Carla (Knipe) Ryder of Lakeville, MA, and Karin (Knipe) Freeman of Rutland, MA.

Born on January 2, 1958, in Peabody, Massachusetts, to Elizabeth and Leonard Lauzon, Dianne was raised and educated in Peabody. Always ahead of her time, she graduated with honors from Northeastern University in 1984, earning a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and receiving the Sigma Epsilon Rho Honor Society Award. She continued her education at Northeastern, graduating again with honors in 1987 with both a Bachelor of Science and a Master's degree in Business Management.

At a time when few women were in the technology and engineering fields, Dianne built an accomplished and respected career. She worked for Data General, Digital, Compaq, HP, CompuCom, and most recently Insight, until she was forced to retire due to her illness.

Dianne was truly an adventurous soul and lived life to the fullest. She captained her sailboat, the Elizabeth Ann, enjoyed jet skiing and waterskiing, and loved snow skiing in places such as Sun Valley, Idaho, and the Alps with family and friends. One of her fondest memories was a family trip to Yellowstone National Park, where-among many adventures, including whitewater rafting-she completed an eight-hour horseback ride through the Absaroka Pass in Montana and loved every minute of it.

An avid runner, Dianne competed in many 5Ks and was an annual participant and fundraiser, alongside her daughter, in the Vanessa T. Marcotte 5K-a cause close to her heart. She also loved music, whether listening to it or playing the drums and piano.

In addition to her family, Dianne was deeply grateful for the many friends who supported her throughout her battle with cancer. She would especially want to thank Robbie and Megan Morin of Thompson, CT, for always making her look and feel beautiful; Leigh Hudson of Princeton, MA, for countless soups and flowers; Russ Giourard of Rutland, MA, for endless blueberry muffins; and cousins Jay and Patty Lange of Berlin, MA, for the many loaves of "Jay-bread." She loved you all.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend calling hours on Tuesday, March 3rd from 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM at Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street in Holden. A celebration of life will be held on May 2nd, their wedding anniversary, with more details to come.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 and the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation, 67 West St., Medfield, MA 02052 or https://vtmf.org/donate/

To share memory or leave a message please visit www.milesfuneralhome.com