Family Center founder grateful for War Memorial’s community impact

Ron and Diane Strickler were first introduced to The War Memorial in 1998. The occasion? Driver education for their teenage daughter.  

“We moved to Grosse Pointe with a 16-year-old who needed drivers ed,” Diane said. “I got her booked, got an address, and kept driving up Lake Shore, looking for the ‘institutional community center’ and it finally dawned on us that these classed were run out of this beautiful estate.”   

Since then, the Grosse Pointe Shores couple has attended various galas and patriotic celebrations, with Diane playing an integral part of a resident partner of The War Memorial, The Family Center of Grosse Pointe & Harper Woods. 

The Family Center was founded in 2000 by Diane, who at that time was a registered nurse and social worker, on the premise that knowledgeable and skilled parents foster capable, healthy, and responsible young people. Diane was the organization’s executive director for eight years.  

The Center has an office near the Business Center entrance at The War Memorial. It has been headquartered at the nonprofit organization since 2017. Prior to that, The Family Center operated from Barnes Early Childhood Center in Grosse Pointe Woods. 

In the late 1990s, Diane initially couldn’t believe the beauty of the Alger House at The War Memorial.  

“We were looking at the dining room, the mantle and all the art,” she said. “It was a beautiful old home that the 16-year-olds were in for driver’s training.” 

For Ron, The War Memorial is a place that prioritizes patriotic events. 

“My first encounter was the Memorial Day service,” he said. “When we moved here, I was told about that and found it a very moving experience and something I haven’t experienced in the United States. When I was in St. Louis, it was more about the community coming together for a picnic than it was about remembrance. That really impressed me with The War Memorial.” 

The Strickler’s have made it a point to start their Memorial Day off right, with a visit to The War Memorial for the ceremony. They plan to attend this year’s gathering on May 27 at 10 a.m. 

After Les Braves II: At Water’s Edge was dedicated here in May 2023, Ron wrote a poem about it, to the tune of “Taps.” 

He explained that while there are no associated lyrics of “Taps,” he wrote the poem because he visited the original Les Braves. 

“It was very moving,” he commented. “It was equally moving the second time around at The War Memorial.”     

In 2022, the Strickler’s traveled to Normandy, France with their grandchildren. 

Part of Ron’s poem reads “We are brothers, you and I; seize the day, fight the foe, turn the tide. I am done; take my place, freedom cries.”  

As in past years, the Strickler’s will be at An Evening of Red, White & Blue on May 22. 

“It’s about supporting the mission of The War Memorial,” Ron said about The War Memorial’s premier gala. “You do so much more, but you got to have support for your core mission.”    

In response to what The War Memorial means to them, the couple says there’s an awful lot that it has given to them professionally and socially.  

“Rotary used to meet every Monday for lunch, Friends and Neighbors used to have lunches there, and Connecting the Pointes is there,” Diane said. “The War Memorial is a hub and has a bright future.” 

This year, as part of our 75th anniversary, The War Memorial will share stories from the public about the impact and experiences they have had at the nonprofit organization. Do you have a special War Memorial story or memory? Join us in telling #myWMstory and share yours!