Dianne Jansen Davis passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, at Sacred Grounds Hospice House in Knoxville, TN, on September 7, 2026. She was a fiercely independent woman, full of fire, who was loyal to her friends and committed to making life better for her family.

She was born on March 1, 1940, in Fresno, California. Her father was a nomadic master mechanic, and she spent her young life traveling the Mountain West with her family until they settled in Malad City, Idaho. She developed an early, lifelong love of music and reading and attended Colorado Women’s College. While she was in school there, she met an Air Force Academy cadet named John Jansen, who became the love of her life. They were married shortly thereafter and had two children, Tony and Julie.

A few years later, John died in a tragic U.S. Air Force aircraft accident, and Dianne stepped into sole responsibility for her children. As the years passed, she discovered a passion and talent for real estate, had another son, Kent, and eventually landed in Kansas City, KS where she founded her own real estate business in pursuit of a more secure life for her family.

In her later years, she steeped herself in the joys of art and travel and rediscovered her spiritual foundations. She is survived by her three children, Tony (and his partner Christa) of St Petersburg, FL; Julie, living in Oak Ridge, TN, and Kent (and his wife Anna), from Bozeman, MT; her grandchildren Christy (Shawnee, KS) and Rylan (Gladstone, MO); Molly (and her husband Caleb), Clinton, TN; and Quinton (Maryville, TN), and her great-grandchildren Quinn, Kingsley, Luna, and Wren.

The family will have a Celebration of Life service held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to the Parkinson Foundation, Attn: Donor Relations, 5757 Waterford District Drive, Suite 310, Miami, FL 33126. Holley Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton is in charge of all arrangements. Holleygamble.com