Dianne Mae Hieb Alexander Yankelevitz died peacefully in her home on Sunday February 9, 2020 in Winter Park, FL at the age of 76.

Dianne is survived by her daughter, Rachelle Lynn Yankelevitz, of Winter Park, FL; her brother Bob Hieb and sister-in-law Gaye Hieb of Weeki Wachee, FL; her niece Selena Cordaro of Weeki Wachee, FL; her nephews Stephen Murray of Navarre Beach, FL and John Spivey of Wilmington, NC; and her nephew Richard Branson of Bonita Springs, FL. She is preceded in death by her mother, Pat Hieb (Pruitt), and her father Clement Adam Hieb of Greensboro, NC; along with her siblings Adam Hieb of Cincinnati, OH, Don Hieb of Burligton, NC, Joy Branson (Hieb) of Burlington, NC, Jerry Hieb of Alexandria, VA, and Tommy Hieb of Greensboro, NC.

Dianne was born on February 26, 1943 in Glendale, OH. She graduated from Notre Dame high School in Greensboro, NC. In Greensboro she met longtime friends Karen Smith and Linda Southard. Dianne was known for her beauty, gracefulness, genuineness, and ability to connect with people. Her prestigious ballroom-dance teaching career started in Vern's Dance Studio in Greensboro, NC and took her to Vic Daumit's Studio of Dance in Washington, DC. After 1978 she offered her own private classes. She was well-versed in a wide variety of styles of dance and choreography. Her life of dance introduced her to many exciting people and occasions, including local Washington dignitaries, Embassy personnel, and ambassadors. She married Harold Yankelevitz in 1979, and their daughter Rachelle L. Yankelevitz was born in 1981. After moving to Florida in 1989, her passion for dance continued with the Beach Boppers of Orlando. Dianne loved children and worked as a teacher's aide and daycare provider. She also loved the elderly, and she visited assisted living facilities to give dance performances. She loved a good bargain, and volunteering at the American Cancer Society's Ladybug Boutique helped her combine her skills for thrift and helping people. She loved animals, and her faithful companion Emma the cat is sitting on her chest beyond the rainbow bridge.

Through years of health challenges, Dianne maintained an amazingly resilient, determined, and self-sufficient spirit that inspired those around her to, in Dianne's words, "find something happy to talk about as you travel through life. Let God's love, with His strong hands, come and touch your life with a thousand happy thoughts and the strength to always believe. Remember… God and all of nature tells us, nothing really ever dies."

A celebration of her life is scheduled for Sunday, February 16, 2020, 1-3 pm at Winter Park Community Center. Gaye Hieb will officiate the ceremony. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Dianne's life. Please bring a memory to share aloud or written, and email photos to yankelevitz@gmail.com or bring printed photos to display at the event. Condolences may be sent to her home. Please no cut flowers; instead, consider making a donation to Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando or your local animal shelter in her honor.