Birth date: Apr 3, 1964 Death date: Jan 14, 2026
Diane (“DD”) Freeman Hackney passed away unexpectedly on January 14, 2026, surrounded by her loving family, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, loyalty, and quiet strength that touched everyone fortunate enough to know her. She w Read Obituary
I will remember her for her love of family, her mother's best friend, and her love of her dogs.
I have so many fond memories of going with the family to Little Gasparilla Island in the 1990s to early 2000s. Even though she was also on vacation herself, Diane served as the de facto host for these gatherings. This was tricky because people came and went at odd hours and days during the week. Some stayed the whole week, some came for a day or two and some just for a few hours. Diane (along with Gloria too) coordinated all this and made everyone feel welcome and generally made the complicated goings and comings work. Diane's genuine love and devotion to family was what made everyone having a good time possible. This photo shows just a small percentage of the people involved in this endeavor. Taken November 1999.
Before I moved to Arkansas for college—where I now live with my family—I lived in Tampa, and some of my favorite memories are the big Thanksgiving gatherings at Aunt Gloria’s. Diane was always there, full of happiness, laughter, and warmth. Even though there was an age gap between us, she never made me feel it. She treated me with so much love, and that always stayed with me.
After I moved away, I loved seeing Diane’s Facebook posts. They were almost always about family, and it was clear how deeply family meant to her. We didn’t talk often, but every now and then we would text, and every single time we did, my day felt a little brighter afterward.
I’m really going to miss Diane—the love she gave so freely and the joy she brought into the world just by being herself.
Scotty
I have many many memories with my sweet DD.. but one of my favorite ones were on thanksgiving one year, everyone was fishing off the shore and not catching a thing. DD and I went out on the paddle board (the water was freezing cold), with the bait bucket and our poles. I caught a big fish, and it pulled me into the water. We laughed so hard, because of course we had nothing to show anyone but our funny fisherman tale. She loved nothing more than her paddle board rides, especially at sunset.
