Diana L. Perry

Diana (McCullough) Perry, 76, of Overland Park, Kansas, passed away peacefully on July 28, 2026, surrounded by family and friends, following a courageous battle with cancer.

Diana Lucille McCullough was born May 26, 1950, in Gary, Indiana, the second of five children to Leroy and Lois McCullough. She was raised in Gary until moving to Hobart, Indiana in 1953, and then to Rochester, Minnesota in 1961, where she graduated from Mayo High school in 1968. Diana began her collegiate studies at Mid-America Nazarene College in Olathe, Kansas in September 1968. In 1971, she transferred to Mankato State University in Minnesota where she graduated summa cum laude in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Pathology, minoring in Psychology. Diana later earned her Masters Degree of Science in Speech/Language Pathology from Central Missouri State University in 1986.

Moving to Kansas City, Diana began her career in 1974 working for Grandview School District as a speech pathologist, teaching K-12 students at various schools until 2005. Her colleagues described her as “whip smart” who was called upon to be the voice of reasoning in the most difficult situations. She also worked as a speech pathologist for Deborah A. King and Associates, Inc. from 1995 until late 2025, faithfully continuing to help students virtually by FaceTime, even when she was unable to walk during the final months of her life. Dedicated to her teaching, she was an inspiration to us all.

Diana had a deep appreciation for music and the arts. She began playing piano at an early age and later in life delighted in performing beautiful classical pieces on her cherished Steinway grand piano. She was an avid classical music fan and attended many concerts.

Diana enjoyed exploring the world’s many beautiful places, visiting Europe, Greece, and Egypt, among many other destinations. She also loved cooking and experimenting with recipes from a variety of cuisines.

Diana had a life of the party personality, with a unique quirky, sarcastic sense of humor. Always joking and laughing hard with family and friends, she was a true joy to be around. She was incredibly well read, quite outspoken and loquacious.

Diana spent her last 20 years with the love of her life, Dennis Wills, who she met in 2007. Their happiness and love deepened with each passing year. Together, they traveled extensively and enjoyed weekends boating and relaxing at his lake house on the Lake of the Ozarks. They loved socializing with a close circle of beloved friends in the Kansas City metro area, enjoying various gatherings together.

Diana was deeply rooted in her Christian faith and grew even closer to her Lord and Savior as she became ill. Her prayers were shared with family members, giving praise to God Almighty in the highest.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:38-39

May she walk with Him in everlasting peace.

She is survived by siblings David McCullough, Deborah (Bruce) Amundson, Douglas (Shien) and Daniel (Dawn). She is preceded in death by her parents, Lee and Lois (Anderson) McCullough and her husband Dennis Wills.

Visitation will be from 3-4:00pm Saturday, August 15th at Penwell Gabel Funeral Home, Olathe, KS.   A memorial service will be at 4pm followed by a reception at the funeral home.