DRACUT – Diane M. (Nolin) Caravoulias left this earthly scene for her heavenly home in the early morning hours of Saturday, March 22, 2025. She was at home and under the hospice care of her husband, Peter and son, Bryan.
She was born on April 22, 1952, the daughter of the late Shirley R. (Dickinson) and Ralph V. Nolin. A life-long resident of Dracut, Diane was a 1969 graduate of Dracut High School. While there, she was a member of the baton twirling Majorettes. She also traveled throughout New England competing and winning many trophies and medals.
While in high school, she worked at the Giant Store in Lowell, where she did secretarial work in the garment department. In the early 1970’s she worked at Nylon Engineering in Lowell and Chelmsford and for the methadone clinic in Lowell as a secretary.
She married Peter Caravoulias on August 15, 1970 and together they had eleven children over the next twenty-one years. The two of them were members of their band, Two Flights Up, where among various percussion-type instruments, she also played the theremin. She would often be found on the third floor in “Studio C” practicing for upcoming gigs with her bandmates (Peter, Tom, Julie, Chris, Larry and Len.) For six years, the band performed at various locales throughout the area but her favorite “gig” was hosting yearly backyard “bashes” with family and friends, featuring Two Flights Up and other gifted musicians.
Above all, her greatest life’s work and joy was giving birth to and raising her eleven children. Her love was absolutely unconditional and all-encompassing and she cherished her seventeen grandchildren to the very end.
Her life-long passion was sewing, which began when she received her Singer Golden Touch-and-Sew machine at about age twelve. Over the years she graduated to more technical machines and she especially loved her Husqvarna embroidery machine the last few years. She could be described as “creative” perhaps more than anything else. Besides sewing and embroidery she produced many beautiful quilts (notably her one-of-a-kind priceless “Beatles quilt.”) Over the years there wasn’t a craft she did not attempt to master. She loved to paint, whether it be outdoor scenes, tole or on slate, silk or used drum heads. She also learned how to work with stained glass and for over thirty years produced many beautiful pieces, gifting most to family and friends. In recent years, at his request, she taught her son, Bryan, how to work with stained glass, whom she felt surpassed her talent and expertise in such a short time.
In addition to her sewing room and stained glass studio was her own “wife cave” on the second floor, where you would find her relaxing in her recliner surrounded by her collection of guitars and autoharps. She had an insatiable appetite for reading and could almost always be found with a book in her hands. She had an extensive library that she shared with family and friends. She also had her own cleaning business for thirty years, where she made many life-long friends.
For decades, every Sunday afternoon you would find most of her children and grandchildren gathered together at her home in Dracut to enjoy a home-cooked meal of pastitsio, lasagna, roast chicken and egg-lemon soup, stuffed grape leaves and cabbage, spanakopita and many other favorites. Those summer Sunday afternoons you could find everyone frolicking in the pool or involved in a super competitive whiffle ball competition. This weekly gathering would eventually become known as “cousin’s day” by all of her grandchildren. In addition to the weekly congregating, every Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day, Easter morning breakfast (featuring competitive “egg fights”) and Easter Sunday dinner, would find everyone once again assembled at her home for turkey, lamb or ham dinners.
She enjoyed many yearly family vacations to Hampton or Old Orchard Beaches. She also looked forward to bike riding adventures on Plum Island and Martha’s Vineyard, as well as exploring windmills and lighthouses on the New England coast.
She was a member of the Fellowship Bible Church in North Andover for several years and in 1976 was a founding member of Grace Bible Church in Dracut, where she served as nursery director, taught women’s fellowship Bible studies, ran Summer Vacation Bible schools and sang in the choir.
In addition to her husband of 55 years, Peter, she is survived by her eight sons, Justin and his wife, Denise of Argyle, TX, Matthew and his long-time companion, Madeleine Smith of Atascadero, CA, Keith and his wife, Roxanne of Dracut, Kent and his wife, Stanka of Spring Hill, FL, Kevin and his wife, Christine of Litchfield, NH, Brad of Dracut, Bryan of Dracut, Tyler and his fiancé, Kaitlin Gauck of Salem, NH; her three daughters, Amanda of Pelham, NH, Koren Allen and her husband, Tadd of Antrim, NH and Tracey Hernandez and her husband, BJ of Atkinson, NH; Grandma’s Garden…her precious 17 grandchildren: Lauryn, Morgan, Logan, Jack, Calista, River, Bodhi, Tripp, Rowan, Christian, Keean, Peter, Skylar, Dimitri, Levi, Charlotte and Vienna.
She is predeceased by her sister, Sherry Sylvester.
She also leaves behind her beloved green 2008 Honda Element.
The family would like to extend their appreciation for the weekly visits from nurse Danielle and aide Irma. They are special caregivers and will be remembered.
Per Diane’s wishes, services were held privately and burial took place in Richardson Cemetery, Dracut. A Celebration of Life will be held in coming months. For condolences, please visit www.mckennaouellette.com.
