Mary "Elaine" Diehl

Jul 7, 1949 -

Jan 22, 2026

Kenai resident Mary "Elaine" Diehl, 76, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna.

A celebration of life will be at 2 p.m., on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at Peninsula Memorial Chapel in Kenai. Frank Alioto will officiate.

Elaine was born on July 7, 1949, in Grapevine, Texas. She went to Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, Wash., and received her associates degree in arts and sciences.

Elaine served in the U.S. Air Force from 1975-79 and in the U.S. Army from 1982-84, and she loved telling stories of her life in the military.

She moved to Anchorage in 2002, where she was a pre-school teacher at Bright Beginnings ELC and Northern Lights Pre-School. In 2012, she left Alaska to live in Oregon, but returned to Anchorage in 2018. In 2021, she moved to Kenai to be closer to her family.

Elaine always wanted to attend the United Methodist Church but was raised Fundamental Baptist. She enjoyed gardening, movies, reading, spending time with family, dancing, singing and she was very passionate about politics.

Her family wrote: "My mom loved her family. The last fun we had as a family was over Thanksgiving last year, where we did a blinded makeup party. She had so much fun and so did we."

Elaine was preceded in death by her parents Lonnie and Edith Sutton of Texas; and sister, Jean Watkins of Texas.

Those left to cherish her memory include her daughter and son-in-law, Mariah and Steven Reed of Kenai; daughter, Clarissa Maxey of Hilo, Hawaii; brother, Lonnie Sutton of Texas; sisters, Vicki Eliot of New York and Jerri Sutton of Texas; grandchildren, Aaron Fridlund of Kenai, Megan Beita and husband Diego of Anchorage, and Kassandra "Kassy" Montgomery of Cave Junction, Ore.; and great-granddaughters, Ellie and Ivy Beita of Anchorage.

Memorial donations may be sent to Peninsula Memorial Chapel to be directed to her family.