Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

January 1, 2026

CHARLOTTE – Diana Blevins Culbreth, 91, of Charlotte, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 1, 2026, after a brief illness.

Diana was born on April 10, 1934, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the daughter of Paul Green and Eva Reeves Blevins. She grew up on a dairy farm in the Grassy Creek community of North Carolina near the Virginia border. During World War II, her family briefly lived in Detroit, Michigan, while her father worked as a toolmaker for General Motors in support of the war effort. As a teenager, she studied art under renowned North Carolina Appalachian artist Florence Thomas, fostering a lifelong appreciation for art.

She graduated as salutatorian from Virginia-Carolina High School in 1952. Diana attended Women's College in Greensboro, North Carolina (now UNC Greensboro), earning a Bachelor’s degree in Education in 1956. She later earned a Master’s degree in Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1975.

Diana began her teaching career as a fifth-grade teacher at Ashley Park Elementary School in Charlotte. In 1959, she married Joe Allen Culbreth, and the couple moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where she taught fifth grade for one year.

In 1961, Diana and her husband returned to Charlotte with their newborn daughter, Carol. The family later lived in Dunedin, Florida, before settling permanently in Charlotte in 1967, where they made their home for the next 58 years. In 1968, they welcomed their son, Joe Jr. She was a longtime member of Providence Baptist Church where she served as a Sunday School teacher for many years.

Diana was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother with a sweet and optimistic spirit. She especially cherished time with her grandson, Matthew. She enjoyed flowers and maintained beautiful orchids year-round. She especially loved the flower paintings of Vincent Van Gogh. Diana also enjoyed traveling; visiting European countries, national parks throughout the United States, and ski destinations in Colorado and Utah. Her favorite place of all was Ashe County, North Carolina, where she spent the last 25 years living at her mountaintop cabin from April through November, enjoying the views and mountain weather.

Diana also had a spirit of adventure. She once rode a mule down a narrow trail to the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park and bicycled from the summit of Haleakalā, a dormant volcano on Maui, descending 10,000 feet to the bottom. She was an avid reader of novels, stayed informed on current events, and was a gracious hostess, well-known for hosting annual Kentucky Derby parties in her home.

Diana is survived by her husband of 66 years, Joe Allen Culbreth; her daughter, Carol Culbreth Cooper, and her husband, Drew, of Rock Hill, South Carolina; her son, Joe Allen Culbreth Jr., of Charlotte, North Carolina; her grandson, Matthew Allen Cooper, of Rock Hill, South Carolina; her sister-in-law, Ann Culbreth, many nieces and nephews, as well as her beloved Bichon Frise, Bucky.

A service celebrating her life will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, January 9, 2026, at Providence Baptist Church. The family will receive friends following the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be offered in Diana’s memory to Providence Baptist Church, 4921 Randolph Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28211.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204; (704) 641-7606.  Online condolences may be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.