I have known Diane for years, I honestly can’t remember when we first met. She’s always had a ready smile, a quick laugh, and a kind word to say whenever I saw her. The picture at left (and above) taken by her grandson, Andrew Seba, truly embodies the joyful, playful spirit of this woman. Both she and her husband Ed were close friends of my family, and they’ve been Clary Lake Association members since the very early days. I last saw Diane at a gathering last fall at her home on Clary Lake. The party was well attended and she was, as usual, in rare form. She will be remembered, and she will be missed. The following is her obituary which was sent to me by her daughter Kate Grant Seba.
George Fergusson, 01 September 2024
Lydia “Diane” Smith Grant, a native of Bath, Maine, and long-time resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at the age of 97.
She was born in the home of her grandparents, Rupert and Kate Baxter, in Bath, Maine on April 25,1927. Her parents were Lydia McLellan Baxter and Alden Grover Smith. She lived in Bath until she moved with her family to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She lived on the base and witnessed first-hand the bombing in December 7, 1941. After marrying, she moved to Baton Rouge and started her family. She was a founding member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge, and was honored to have her name in the cornerstone. She was also a proud member of St. Giles Episcopal Church in Jefferson, Maine. Lydia was a member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association and the 95th Bomb Group Memorial Foundation. Over the years, she volunteered with numerous organizations in Baton Rouge. She and her husband, Ed, were long-time members of the Clary Lake Association. Together, they cherished their long summers in Maine in their home on Clary Lake, where they spent time with their closest family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Edward D. Grant, Jr., and daughter, Lydia Spann Neustrom. She is survived by her children, William “Bill” Stirling Spann, Jr. (Janie), Ronald “Ronnie” Baxter Spann (Sheryl), and Kate Grant Seba (David), all of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as well as her stepchildren, Edward D. Grant, III of Idaho, James Grant (Margaret) of Florida, and Chris Grant (Cindy) of Missouri. She is also survived by 15 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and brothers, Thomas Gillette (Delph) of Texas, Asa Smith (Jane) of Kentucky, and Alden Smith (Marlena) of California. She is survived by many cousins in Maine, among them being Dr. Houghton White (Mary) and Rupert White (Ruth), all of Brunswick.
Services will be held on Sunday, September 8, 2024 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana. She will be interred at a later date in Oak Grove Cemetery in Bath, Maine. If you wish to honor her, it was her request to have donations made in her name to St. Giles Episcopal Church, 72 Gardiner Road, Jefferson, Maine 04348, or to the Clary Lake Association, PO Box 127,
Whitefield, Maine 04353.