Diane Merrall Dey, 95, of Atlantic Highlands, passed away peacefully at home Feb. 7, 2026, in the presence of her loving daughter, Merrall, while the “Commendation of the Dying” was invoked by Rev. Hank Hilton.
Diane was born Oct. 11, 1930, in Orange, to the late William and Janet Merrall. Raised in South Orange, her passion for the beach grew exponentially while at the family’s summer house in Allenhurst and the Allenhurst Beach Club.
Diane’s formal education at Marylawn of the Oranges Academy was followed by matriculation at Georgetown Visitation (D.C.), then the oldest women’s Catholic college in America.
Following her marriage to Dartmouth’s favorite son, E. William Dey, in 1952, she raised her four kids – Carroll, Kimmy, Billy and Merrall – in Rumson.
She found great satisfaction in organizing and running a daytime preschool playgroup for many years. She also believed in advocating for and supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, hence her many years with ARC. One of her most cherished memories with ARC was that of chaperoning a large group of young adults on a cruise to Bermuda. Most nights were spent laughing and dancing until 3 a.m. Judith Hilton was her favorite!
Diane’s salient feature was her beauty. This Queen of Social Intoxication loved a good party! Like her uncle, Norman Francis Carroll, holding court at the Princeton Club bar, she held court at Seabright Beach Club every summer, starting in 1962. SBC will never be the same.
In addition to Seabright Beach Club, the Catholic Church was also a second home. It offered stability, nourishing her soul and mind.
Diane is survived by her children, Carroll of Washington D.C., Billy and his wife Stephanie of Walpole, New Hampshire, and Merrall and her husband Rich Freund of West Long Branch; grandchildren Pierson and Jack Dey and Delanie and Garrett Freund; and nieces and nephews, Penny, Robin, Andrew and Tom Dey and Jim Pope.
She was predeceased by her daughter, Kimberly Anne Dey, Feb. 15, 2016.
A memorial visitation will be held at 10 a.m. May 27 at the Church of the Nativity, 180 Ridge Road, Fair Haven. A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11 a.m. Arrangements have been entrusted to Thompson Memorial Home of Red Bank.
The article originally appeared in the February 26 – March 4, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
