Diana Dunn-Graves, 49 and MHS Grad, Dies

Diana Dunn-Graves, 49, of Middletown died due to complications from breast cancer at Riverview Medical Center on Sunday, Jan. 1.  Born in New York, Diana grew up in Marlboro, later living in New York City and Amherst, NY and moving back to Monmouth County in July, 2011. Diana graduated from Marlboro High School and was a 1984 graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Diana was predeceased by her father, Frank Dunn in 2009. She is survived by her husband of thirteen years, Andre Graves and their two beloved children, Carson and Victoria. She is also survived by her mother, Virginia Dunn of Red Bank; her three sisters, Kathleen and husband Neal Carney of Los Gatos, CA, Patricia Dunn of Atlantic Highlands, Judy and husband John Horan of Fair Haven, NJ; her brother, David Dunn of Aberdeen, NJ; her mother and father-in-law, Katie and William Graves of Inman, SC; sister-in-law Ingrid and husband Renato Vasconez of Brooklyn, NY and her adoring nieces and nephews Rachel, Colin, Alexis, Jack, Sean, Julia, Liam and Michael. A life cut too short, Diana was also blessed with many other cherished family members and dear friends.

Diana had a storied professional career in the toy industry, beginning in licensing for plush toy manufacturer, Eden Toys. While there, she expanded the reach of such well-known characters as Paddington Bear, Madeline and Thomas the Tank Engine. While at Eden, her responsibilities grew to include marketing, product development and sales in the US and the Asia/Pacific Rim. Following her time at Eden Toys, Diana joined Gund, Inc. swiftly moving to the position of Vice President of Marketing. Diana oversaw all aspects of marketing for such well known licensees as Classic Pooh, Rugrats and Harry Potter. In addition to managing these licenses, Diana launched the Baby Gund line. In 2001, Diana moved to Fisher Price in East Aurora, NY where she began as the Director of Marketing for the girls division, later moving to manage their newborn line. Early in 2011, Diana moved back to New York City as the Vice President of Marketing for Fischer Price Brands. Throughout her career she was known for her exceptional leadership, management skills and creativity.

Visitation will be on Thursday, Jan. 5 , 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the Thompson Memorial Home, 310 Broad St., Red Bank. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, Jan. 6, 11:00 a.m. at St. James RC Church, 94 Broad St., Red Bank. Internment will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Middletown.

In lieu of flowers, Diana and her family request that donations be made in her honor to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundations, PO Box 204, Norwood, NJ 07648 (www.tnbcfoundation.org.)