Diane Roskelley Bastian

Diane Roskelley Bastian, 84, passed away in her home in Bountiful, Utah, on October 29, 2026.

Diane spent much of her life at the piano. Though she was talented enough to command any stage on her own, she preferred to be just out of the spotlight and made it her life’s work to play for others. This attitude was not only a part of her musical life; it was also how she lived. As a daughter, a mother, a teacher, an accompanist, and a member and employee of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Diane regularly used her own brilliance to magnify others’ light.

Diane was born on October 5, 1942, to Lowell John and Alta Roskelley, and grew up in the small town of Buhl, Idaho, with her brother, John. She showed an early aptitude for music and excelled at both the flute and the piano. She was a tomboy who excelled at sports, beating all the boys so often that they did not always like to play with her. She was crowned Miss Buhl and went on to compete in the Miss Idaho pageant; while she was not a finalist, she took home a $150 award in recognition of her talent. As a teenager, her beloved piano teacher, Mrs. Bellini, recognized Diane’s gift for teaching and encouraged her to take on students of her own, which was the start of a lifetime spent helping other people make music.

Music carried Diane to Brigham Young University, where she majored in piano performance and played flute and piccolo in various ensembles. In the BYU Concert Band, she met young trumpet player Larry Bastian, whom she married in the Logan Utah Temple on September 14, 1962. They built a home that was full of music from the start. For many years, Diane taught piano lessons from her home in Bountiful, Utah, where her seven children grew up hearing her encouragement and gentle way of reproving her students. She had a particular soft spot for adult beginners, who had always wanted to play and finally decided it was not too late to start.

Diane was devoted to her family and worked tirelessly to ensure that her children’s needs were met. She was determined, also, to provide them opportunities to explore activities that interested and fulfilled them, like gymnastics, dance, art, and music, which often required significant sacrifice on her part. She was a wonderful example of lifelong learning and growth, regularly seeking improvement and knowledge, especially of a spiritual nature. Her children will always remember her poring over the scriptures and privately pouring her heart out in prayer.

Diane was in constant demand as an accompanist, both on piano and organ. She played for the Salt Lake Children’s Choir, the South Davis Community Choir, and innumerable other ensembles and soloists, both professional and amateur. She could play anything; when the music was especially difficult or the time was short, people called Diane and then breathed easier, knowing she would come through. She never showed up unprepared. She practiced not until she got a tricky passage right, but until it was nearly impossible for her to get it wrong.

Diane went to work for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at age 53 and quickly became an invaluable leader in the work of Church music. She coordinated the music for general conference with the Office of the First Presidency, Church organization general presidencies, and Tabernacle Choir directors. With the help of volunteers, she also organized the guest choirs, gathering singers, recommending directors, and helping select the music. For many years, she also oversaw the annual Church Music Submission and Festival, which made hundreds of original songs and arrangements available online for members to use free of charge. Over the years, she likely reviewed more than 20,000 submissions.

She greatly valued her work with the Harman Music Education Fund, which helped members in remote areas learn to play and lead the hymns. This fund sent thousands of keyboards, along with copies of the Church’s basic music and keyboard courses, to more than 75 countries. Students who completed the course could keep their keyboards, and many of them now teach others. As a music manager, she also helped oversee the translation of the hymnbook and Children’s Songbook into many languages and the development of the Church’s music website and the Sacred Music app. The website’s interactive music player was her pride and joy; for months she stayed up until two or three in the morning reviewing every hymn, note by note, in many languages. Diane’s work for the Church was prolific; when she retired at 74, it took three music managers to replace her.

Retirement did not slow her down. She continued to serve as a volunteer for the rest of her life, reviewing music submissions each year and, in recent years, thousands of audition recordings for the new hymnbook, for general conference choirs, and for the upcoming Salt Lake Temple celebration. Among her most meaningful assignments was accompanying the small groups who sang every hymn and song being considered for the new hymnbook, so the Church’s senior leaders could hear them as part of the review and approval process. The work took a great deal out of her in her early eighties, but it meant too much to her to step back. Though her definition of sacred music had long been fairly traditional, she came to see how a wide range of musical styles could speak to different people, and she embraced the broader variety in Hymns for Home and Church. She loved playing the new hymns and songs at church. Along the way, she formed lasting friendships with many of the people who shaped the Church’s music, friendships she treasured to the end of her life.

Her own playing never stopped, either. Her final major accompanying performance, a demanding violin recital she practiced for weeks, came at age 83, less than a year before her death, and she played the organ at church until weeks before she died.

Diane was determined to keep learning new skills, especially when others underestimated her. She crocheted a baby blanket for each of her grandchildren, and some were so well loved that they had to be remade more than once. She was an avid football fan, cheering for BYU and for every university her children attended. And she kept a bucket list of delightfully unexpected adventures: a hot air balloon ride at 60, indoor skydiving at 65, and a country line dancing class at 78.

Diane was never a big talker, but when she spoke, people listened, because she rarely wasted words. Her family will miss her voice, her steady presence, and her quiet support, and they know their own lights burn brighter because of hers.

Diane is survived by her children, Chad (Wendi) Bastian of North Carolina, Quinn (Kelly) Bastian of Washington, Becca (Chris) Norwood of Texas, Jared (Carolyn) Bastian of Utah, Rachel Bastian of Kansas, Bastian (Anne) Parsons of North Carolina, and Katie Bastian of Utah. She is also survived by 29 grandchildren: Lindsay (Sean) Bates, Kelsey (Derek) Peterson, Jenna (Ryan) Anderson, Nathan (Alison) Bastian, Jacob Bastian, Carter Bastian, Taylor Bastian, Tanner Bastian, Sydney Bastian, Riley (Dallin) Bastian, Bailey Bastian, Sam (Sarah) Norwood, Lucas (Hannah) Norwood, Thomas (Libby) Norwood, William Norwood, Jessica Norwood, Janie Norwood, Connor Bastian, Mason Bastian, Jack Bastian, Brynley Bastian, Liam Bastian, Peter Porcaro, Leopold Porcaro, Wren Porcaro, Damien Porcaro, Etta Parsons, and Stella Parsons; and three great-grandchildren: Theodore Peterson, Ruthie Norwood, and Levi Norwood. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Larry, her brother, L. John Roskelley II, and her grandson, Jonah Kai Bastian.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at the Mueller Park 3rd Ward, 1825 South 800 East in Bountiful, Utah, where a viewing will be held from 9:00-10:15 a.m. prior to the funeral. Burial will take place that afternoon at the Smithfield City Cemetery, 300 E. Center Street, Smithfield, Utah, 84335.

Services will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary & Crematory YouTube Channel and on this obituary below.