Diane Nunes McCormack

Happy Birthday!!!

Diane Nunes McCormack was born August 1, 1946 in Yuba City to Edward Joseph Nunes (an Engineer for Caltrans) and Florence Ineas Nunes (an amazing home-maker) and entered into eternal life June 27, 2026 at 10:10pm. When Diane was only 13 years old, her father tragically died, and Florence had to move the family to Sacramento to find work. Diane then helped take care of her three siblings: Edward Nunes, Jr. (preceded in death), Maria Egloff (husband Tom preceded in death), and Julie Nunes (partner Janice Bezou preceded in death). Diane was a loving and devoted wife to Frank McCormack, and mother to James Leo McCormack (wife Michelle) and Angela (Angel) McCormack.

Everything Diane touched turned to gold! She had so many passions, music being the first, that she learned from her magnetic father. She sang in choirs her entire life, culminating in being one of the founding members of the Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra (SCSO), where she was an Alto for the last 30 years. Her next passion, also starting as a little girl, was sewing clothes for her dolls. Diane quickly became a couture-level seamstress, having designed and sewn countless masterpieces for herself and others, including wedding dresses, bride’s maids’ dresses, and all of Angel’s prom dresses. Yet another passion of Diane’s, (that she was able to use professionally for decades), was as a highly esteemed, top-tier graphic designer. But of course, Diane didn’t stop there, she then merged her two greatest passions (music and design), and parlayed that into the divine creation of the SCSO’s Branding. She creating the marketing collateral for all printed and online content for the last 30 years, ending in May 2025, when she helped train her successor.

Diane also traveled the world. During a trip to Europe with her sisters and mother, she visited London, Paris, and the Azores Islands, where her mother Florence dusted off her Portuguese to translate during the trip. Afterwards, Florence wrote a book “Songs of Saudades: An Enchanting Journey to the Azores Islands and the Pousadas of Portugal” for which Diane designed the cover, layout, and helped get it published. Diane’s travels were punctuated by having sung with the SCSO at the Vatican in Rome’s St. Peter’s Basilica (where she said she felt the presence of her father who would have loved to experience the sheer awe). She also sang on the Great Wall of China; at Carnegie Hall in New York; at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles; and in Canada (Victoria and Vancouver). Other notable backup singing engagements were when Diane and a number of the SCSO members performed with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops (at Arco Arena in Sacramento and in San Jose); and as backup for Kenny Rogers at the Memorial Auditorium.

Besides Diane’s love of music, she absolutely relished in the sheer beauty of God’s creations. She would gasp in awe professing loudly, “Look at the moon!”, as if it were the first time she’d ever seen it, every single time. She loved sunflowers, sunsets, moon rises, oceans, lakes, mountains, wildflowers, poppies, golden fields of mustard, purple lupine; she knew every plant, tree, shrub, and bird by name. Her favorite bird was the Magpie, and not too long ago a bridge over I-5 featuring Magpies was constructed just a few exits away from her house. She loved her garden and was most proud of her giant thornless blackberries that she shared widely every July. Diane was also a master chef, cooking elaborate meals every night, all organic and from scratch. Perfecting sourdough bread was her cooking crown jewel in her last decade. Diane also loved camping, Yoga, hiking on trails all around California, and walking on the parkway by her home to Portuguese Park.

Diane’s light shone so incredibly bright. She radiated holy and catalyzing life force energy, every single day of her glorious life, no matter the circumstances.  She was the epitome of class, grace, and strength, not only as her baseline, but especially through the tremendous challenges that she faced. Having taken care of every person in her life, Diane was as self-less and Christ-like that an incarnated soul could be, the closest a person could possibly get to a Saint.

Don’t despair, Diane’s light is still shining bright! She is singing with the Almighty now in His Celestial Choir! And any time you see 10:10, you will know that Diane is with you, sending all of her strength, protection, and love. Happy Birthday Diane (my precious mother), until we all are with you again!

The funeral will take place at St. Francis Catholic Church at 1066 – 26th Street, in Sacramento on August 29, 2026 at 2pm. Diane’s Celebration of Life will immediately follow at Scott’s Seafood on the River, one of Diane’s favorite places to celebrate important events. Wild Sunflowers were Diane’s favorite, so feel free to wear sunflowers or yellow at her service to help shine her bright light. In lieu of sending flowers, remembrances in Diane’s name may be made to the Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra (sacramentochoral.org).