Diane Cooper Byers

WEAVERVILLE - Diane Cooper Byers, 82, of Weaverville, NC passed away peacefully on Monday, April 27th, 2026. She was in the loving care of The Solace Center and attended by just a few of the many people who loved her deeply.

Diane was born in Charleston, South Carolina on February 2, 1944, and happily spent her childhood and teenage years there. She had a deep love for children and always knew she wanted to be a teacher. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree from Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia, she spent her life doing what she loved, teaching and raising her four boys. Her first teaching job was in Richmond, Virginia. She and her husband moved to Weaverville in the early 1970’s, and she remained there until she moved into assisted living in 2023. She was active in her community and her church, First Presbyterian Church Weaverville, until her diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease prevented her from being able to do so. She remained in close contact with the pastor, church members, and friends, all of whom were so wonderful to her and were treasured by her and her family. Her faith in God was strong and carried her through the challenging times in her life.

Diane had a true gift for reaching children and spent most of her career teaching kindergarten. She was honored to be chosen Teacher of the Year twice at Weaverville Primary School. A creative person by nature, she could always find ways to draw her students in. She truly loved her students and wanted good things for them. She was well known in her community by former co-workers and students who speak of the impact she had on their lives.

A loving mother and grandmother, Diane, or Nina as she was lovingly named by her grandchildren, was most happy when her large family could be together. As her sons married and her family grew, she welcomed the chaos that came with holiday gatherings. She never missed an opportunity to teach her grandchildren, as she had done for so many students through the years. She enjoyed playing board games with them and they remember these times fondly.

Diane was preceded in death by her father, Vergil Cooper, and her mother, Rheba Hicks Cooper. She is survived by four sons, Chris Byers (Sheri), Craig Byers, Tommy Byers, and Tim Byers; ten grandchildren, Emry Trantham, Erin Scarnecchia, Brandi Byers, Malya Johnson, Haylei Banks, Rylen Byers, Sam Byers, Emma Byers, Grant Byers, and Ayla Byers; eight very special great grandchildren; a brother, Tom Cooper (Anne); and two nieces, Katherine Kaderabek (Todd) and Jenny Gettys; a grand niece and nephew and one great grandnephew, whose pictures always brought a smile to her face.

Funeral services will be held on Sunday, May 3rd at 3:00 pm at First Presbyterian Church Weaverville, 30 Alabama Ave., Weaverville. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 1:45 to 2:45 pm. Burial will follow in Weaverville Cemetery, 119 S. Main St., Weaverville.

The family would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the wonderful caregivers at Harmony at Reynolds Mountain for the loving care you extended to Diane over the past three years. We were also blessed to have wonderful private caregivers who loved her and cared for her as though she was their own. There are no words to express the appreciation we have in knowing that her last years were spent surrounded by people who loved her deeply. Lastly, we want to thank the compassionate nurses and staff at The Solace Center in Asheville. We truly could not have asked for a more compassionate end of life journey for our precious Mom/Nina.

Those who would like to send flowers may do so by sending them to West Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Presbyterian Church Weaverville, P.O. Box 247, Weaverville, NC 28787.

West Family Funeral Services is honored to be serving Diane’s family.