Dianna Baker Tilley

Dianna Baker Tilley, of Thurmond North Carolina, passed away suddenly on July 22, 2025 at Wake Forest Baptist Health Center. Born July 16, 1956 in McDowell County she was the daughter of the late Harrison and Birdia Baker. 

Dianna was a loving daughter, mother and friend to many. She loved spending time with family and friends. Throughout her life she was she was a wonderful friend to have and a mother figure to many others that she took under her wing.  Her children would always have friends in their lives that would always refer to her as mom.  She molded her children into independent and strong-willed individuals that would love people as strongly as she would.  She always wanted them to make their own way and stand tall and be proud of who they are.  Her main reason for working hard in her life was to make a better place for the ones she loved.  She raised a beautiful family that will always carry a piece of her in their hearts.  She did extensive research into her family history and loved to share her lineage with family and always wanted them to know where they came from.  She used to love riding motorcycles with her brother Charlie and used to be part of a Goldwing club in North Carolina. These moments would aways put a smile on her face.  Horses played a major role in her life as she loved to ride when she was able.  She spent countless hours with horses and just loved watching them out her window or sitting on her front porch.  One of her passions in life was photography.  No one probably will ever know how many photos she really took but just know that she put something of herself in each and every one of them. If you are ever able to gothrough pictures at her house you may notice that there aren’t many with her in them.  She loved being behind the camera instead, and her beauty showed through every shot she took! Her photography grew her friendship with people across the world even as far as Africa.  She shared her loved of photography with everyone as she was always trying to get that perfect picture even if it was her cell phone.  She will be missed by many and her memory will remain and her legacy will carry on in each and every one that she touched.  

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother John Baker and sister Susie Gail Baker.

Left to cherish her memory are children Nathan Alan Caldwell and his wife Julie, Michael Alan Caldwell and his wife Lacie and Cyndi Rebel Burnett.  Her grandchildren Corbin Caldwell, Connor Caldwell, Bryce Caldwell, Autumn Caldwell and Alyx Bateman

Sibling Charles W Baker, and his spouse Julie. 

Funeral services to celebrate the life of Dianna Tilley will be held at 1:00 P.M. Saturday, August 2, 2025 at the Chapel of Fredeking Funeral Service in Oakvale with Elder Henry Mullins officiating.   Burial will follow in the New Zion Cemetery. Family and friends will serve as pallbearers. Friends may visit with the family Saturday from noon until the service hour at the funeral home. Online condolences may be shared with the family via www.fredekingfs.com.

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