Obituary for Diane Napier-Andrews (Watts)
Diane Napier-Andrews née Watts
November 3rd, 2023 age 79
Diane has died peacefully, with dignity, on her own terms, at her home in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, in the loving arms of Nigel Napier-Andrews, her husband of 14 years. Her stepdaughters, Rebecca and Megan, were at her side. She chose MAID after struggling with a rare neurological disease for a number of years.
She was born on April 17, 1944, to Ivy and Stuart Watts, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, where she grew up as an only child. Her father owned a factory supplying the cutlery trade and her mother was a homemaker.
She attended Harrogate Ladies’ College, followed by the Inchbald School of Design, in London. In 1967, friends were leaving for Canada and, on a whim, she joined them. In Toronto, Diane’s design career flourished. She discovered her entrepreneurial flair working with her then partner, who owned a chain of record shops. Diane managed their classical music store. They published Fugue, a classical music magazine, and Epicure, a gourmet magazine, of which Diane was editor, though she never learned to cook. Her love of animals led her to open a tiny shop called Alexander Pushkin’s Colossal Pet Emporium, named for her Siamese cat. Her next ventures were a wholesale showroom in Toronto’s Designers’ Walk and a retail store at Avenue Road and Yorkville Avenue. She started making large custom mirrors and renamed her business Diane Watts Exquisite Mirrors and Fine Furniture. This enterprise was such a success that at one time she was selling through 17 showrooms across Canada and the US.
Diane had the ability to engage with anyone and had a wonderful sense of humour. Her many friends attest that being around her was always fun. Diane loved sports cars and owned six Jaguar XK convertibles in a row, until she had to give up driving in 2021. She adored cats and always had at least one as a companion from the time of her arrival in Canada onwards. She gave a good home to many strays. Her final feline companions were Ollie and Zoe, two Siamese. She travelled widely, visiting England frequently. She toured the US and Europe on both business and pleasure, as well as favourite destinations in the Caribbean. When she married Nigel at the age of 65, she chose a beach wedding in Barbados.
By her firm request, there will be no service, ceremony, or burial, but she wished her ashes to be mixed with the ashes of her former cats Tiggy and Lulu and scattered. She asked that her friends celebrate her life at a later date with a “good party.”
She had a final drink of her favourite Veuve Clicquot Rosé champagne before she departed and raised her glass with her classic toast: “Here’s to you and here’s to me, and should we ever disagree, the hell with you and here’s to me!” Memories may be shared at www.morganfuneral.com.
November 3rd, 2023 age 79
Diane has died peacefully, with dignity, on her own terms, at her home in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, in the loving arms of Nigel Napier-Andrews, her husband of 14 years. Her stepdaughters, Rebecca and Megan, were at her side. She chose MAID after struggling with a rare neurological disease for a number of years.
She was born on April 17, 1944, to Ivy and Stuart Watts, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, where she grew up as an only child. Her father owned a factory supplying the cutlery trade and her mother was a homemaker.
She attended Harrogate Ladies’ College, followed by the Inchbald School of Design, in London. In 1967, friends were leaving for Canada and, on a whim, she joined them. In Toronto, Diane’s design career flourished. She discovered her entrepreneurial flair working with her then partner, who owned a chain of record shops. Diane managed their classical music store. They published Fugue, a classical music magazine, and Epicure, a gourmet magazine, of which Diane was editor, though she never learned to cook. Her love of animals led her to open a tiny shop called Alexander Pushkin’s Colossal Pet Emporium, named for her Siamese cat. Her next ventures were a wholesale showroom in Toronto’s Designers’ Walk and a retail store at Avenue Road and Yorkville Avenue. She started making large custom mirrors and renamed her business Diane Watts Exquisite Mirrors and Fine Furniture. This enterprise was such a success that at one time she was selling through 17 showrooms across Canada and the US.
Diane had the ability to engage with anyone and had a wonderful sense of humour. Her many friends attest that being around her was always fun. Diane loved sports cars and owned six Jaguar XK convertibles in a row, until she had to give up driving in 2021. She adored cats and always had at least one as a companion from the time of her arrival in Canada onwards. She gave a good home to many strays. Her final feline companions were Ollie and Zoe, two Siamese. She travelled widely, visiting England frequently. She toured the US and Europe on both business and pleasure, as well as favourite destinations in the Caribbean. When she married Nigel at the age of 65, she chose a beach wedding in Barbados.
By her firm request, there will be no service, ceremony, or burial, but she wished her ashes to be mixed with the ashes of her former cats Tiggy and Lulu and scattered. She asked that her friends celebrate her life at a later date with a “good party.”
She had a final drink of her favourite Veuve Clicquot Rosé champagne before she departed and raised her glass with her classic toast: “Here’s to you and here’s to me, and should we ever disagree, the hell with you and here’s to me!” Memories may be shared at www.morganfuneral.com.