Our cherished wife, mother and sister, Diane Louise Ngatuvai (Kautz), 62, was welcomed home by our Heavenly Father on Tuesday, Jan. 25 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her beautiful smile, light and warmth will be missed by all.
Diane was born on April 3, 1959 to Charles and Louise Kautz in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. From a young age, Diane loved getting lost in a good book and adored her cat, Tuffy. When she wasn’t reading, you could find her listening to Donny Osmond on cassette while she raced around town in her blue ‘66 VW Beetle with her friends. She was part of the pep squad and had fun cheering at sporting events. After graduating from Iowa City High School in 1977, she went on to study for a semester at Iowa State University where she made a decision that would shape the rest of her life for good.
While in college she was introduced to two missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by a roommate. As she says, “I was hooked!” She loved to tell how she read half the Book of Mormon the first night she received it and went to ask the bishop the next week if she could serve a mission. She was baptized and a year later served a mission in Rapid City, South Dakota. Her mission was a sacred and joyful experience. She enjoyed sharing mission stories and memories that she considered anchors to her testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Diane was a woman of deep and abiding faith who emulated the love of the Savior in everything she did. She truly was an instrument in His hands, cheerfully serving as the local president in every women’s auxiliary for the Church, making lasting impacts on hundreds for decades. It gave her an opportunity to teach and be taught while continually striving to become closer to the Savior.
After her mission, in 1983, Diane moved to Salt Lake City where she would eventually meet her husband, Laponi. They were both young, returned missionaries who had left their families and homes, Diane from Iowa, and Laponi from Tonga, to venture out into the world. We've often said, as their children, that Diane and Laponi gave us the best of both worlds in regard to culture, tradition, and most importantly, their shared love of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple on May 19, 1984, beginning a forever family.
Diane was a devoted mother, raising four boys she cherished, Sione (Spouse: Sarah, Children: Samea, Noah, Elijah), Spencer (Spouse: Raven, Children: Nathan, Noelle), Stephen and Tomasi. Being a mother was one of Diane’s greatest joys and accomplishments in life. As her children, we never grew tired of hearing her musings and each had an individual and special relationship with her that we will hold dear, forever. She was an incredible mother, caring, supportive, kind and hilarious. We will miss her deeply. Diane truly was a mother to all. She radiated kindness and compassion and people were drawn to her light. Her sons quickly recognized that when friends wanted to come over, it was usually to come spend time with Diane as she was always the life of the party. She was known to many as a shoulder you could cry on and a listening ear ready to comfort and support.
She ended her 45-year career as an Administrative Assistant in April of 2021. Diane had the honor of working with multiple Governors of Utah, mentoring some of Utah’s brightest youth, and working with world-renowned doctors and administrators at the John A. Moran Eye Center. Though for her, it was never where she worked, but who she worked with. She considered her “Lunch Bunch” as sacred sisters who have literally saved her life. As her family, we are forever grateful for their kindness and compassion towards her. After retiring, Diane spent her time with her grandchildren, her greatest treasures in this world.
Diane was passionate about music. She enjoyed singing in the Mormon Youth Symphony and Chorus and dreamt of one day being in the Tabernacle Choir. She played the piano beautifully like her mother. She would play for hours on Sundays, filling her home with delightful music. She hoped to pass on her love of reading by gifting and reading books with her grandchildren every chance she could. “Grandma Dee” was also the person to call and recount their silliest of stories. She was witty and smart and loved to laugh often. Diane was the epitome of a gracious person. Her penmanship was perfect and her words even more. Her light and spirit will be missed greatly and we long for the day to be with her again.
Diane was predeceased by her parents, Charles and Louise Kautz. She is survived by her brothers Stephen (Marie), Jeffrey (Anne), and Leslie (Janice) Kautz; her husband: Laponi; Sons: Sione (Sarah), Spencer (Raven), Stephen and Tomasi Ngatuvai.
Funeral services will be held as follows:
Public Viewing:
Sunday, January 30 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Liberty 3rd Ward Chapel
1621 South 1100 East
Salt Lake City, Utah 84105
Private Family Viewing:
Monday, January 31 from 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Liberty 3rd Ward Chapel
1621 South 1100 East
Salt Lake City, Utah 84105
Celebration of Life Service:
Monday, January 31 at 11:00 a.m.
Liberty 3rd Ward Chapel
1621 South 1100 East
Salt Lake City, Utah 84105
Graveside service and burial to immediately follow at Larkin Sunset Lawn, 2350 E. 1300 S. Salt Lake City, Utah 84108.
Those who wish to view the recording of the services through Zoom may access the video streaming with the following link:
Please send all flowers and notes to Larkin Mortuary.
I am so sorry for your loss. I had the pleasure of working with Diane for years. Her smile was contagious and her kindness unparalleled. She was an amazing human being and I will miss her dearly. My most sincere condolences for your loss of this beautiful human. Maja
Dear Laponi & Boys, With tears of sadness yet joy in my heart 💜 I write a few words of condolences. How l love your sweet Mom and look forward to the day when we shall meet again. Because of Dave’s health we are in quarantine and unable to see you next week. Please know that our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with all of your family at this difficult time. The past few years have been difficult in our family-Dave had to retire early. He since has had two heart attacks and nine stents put in. He has always been healthy and now he tires easily and is unable to be active as he once was. He lost weight and is no longer my “muscle Niuean.” That’s where the beautiful resurrection comes in! We will all be blessed with strong and healthy bodies again some day! I am so grateful for Diane and the many memories I cherish of her. Take care. Lots of love, Natalie, David & the Fisihetau Family
Dear Family,
We are so sorry to hear about Diane's passing. Thinking back the fondest memories are the Family Reunions in Iowa City and the Family Christmas time dinners in the Amana's. Diane was so kind and always made everyone smile. Our thoughts are with you all as you celebrate the life of such a special person.
Dear Ngatuvai family,
My heart is full of gratitude for the opportunity of being Diane’s friend at the Moran. We bonded instantly, and I’m positive we were friends in the pre-mortal existence.
Our lunch bunch conversations were not complete without a funny story from Diane. Stories ranged from mistakenly getting in the wrong car (several times), to accidentally flinging M&Ms from the balcony at the conference center. She never got tired of talking about Donny. I loved how she threw a stuffed purple octopus (with her name and phone number) on the stage when he performed in Iowa. I miss her great laugh and compassion for others.
She has a deep love for her family and would do anything for you. She also has a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and wasn’t afraid to share it.
May you all be comforted my your sweet memories of grandma Dee.
Love you all,
B. J. Fullmer
The thing I love the most about Diane was the light, happiness and joy she radiated!! She always was happy to see you and made you feel loved. She tried to find the happy side of whatever was going on and crack a joke to help you smile. Her laugh had such a sincere and jolly quality - even thinking of it now makes my heart so happy ☀️!! Each time I had a chance to photograph her, I loved capturing her beautiful smiles and her bursts of laughter, because even in the quiet of the still photo, looking at those images, I could feel the joy and hear the echos of her musical laugh filling my heart with joy. Love and miss you, Diane ❤️. May Heavens halls ring with the joy you brought to us all❤️!!
Diane was always such a joy. Her smile radiated the love of Christ and the love she had for her friends and family. You always knew she really cared. We loved being her fellow ward members and neighbors. She was always sharing -- whether it was her musical talents or love of the Gospel. She will be truly missed.
Love, Carola and Heather
I am so sad to hear of Diane’s passing.Our connection goes way back to her days in Ames, Iowa. Although I also grew up in Iowa City, I know Diane from Iowa State University. We lived on the same dorm floor. When she decided to be baptized in March of 1979, she asked me to sew her white dress to be baptized in. I also attended her baptism along with several others from our dorm floor. When we sang the closing hymn, The Spirit of God, I felt the Holy Ghost so powerfully. I remember Diane asking me how I felt after attending her baptism. She invited me to have the missionaries teach me a few days later. I said yes. Exactly four weeks later on April 21st, I followed her example and I was baptized. We were known as the new converts of Fouts and Kautz. We often studied the Book of Mormon together in the evenings in our dorm rooms those weeks following our baptisms.
The summer of 1980 we decided to move to Salt Lake and drove her car all the way from Iowa out to Utah. We shared an apartment together in the Avenues. She worked at the church office building typing the translations for the Book of Mormon in languages she didn’t even speak with characters that were completely unfamiliar to her. I worked at Snelgrove’s ice cream shop near by. We had so much fun together that summer. I remember how much we laughed and laughed.
I will be forever grateful for her invitation to sew her baptism dress and for the support we offered each other as new converts to the church.
I cherish the memory of her beautiful smile, her love of people and laughter and her deep testimony and faith in our loving Heavenly Father and our Savior.
My heart is heavy with the loss of your wife, mother, Grandma and sister. What a treasure all our memories are that we have shared with her. She blessed all of our lives in such a loving, warm and joy filled way.