CEDAR SPRINGS, Mich. — For Rod Sager, the garden at his home can be seen as a Garden of Eden, in what is now a tribute to his late wife, Diane Brady, who passed away from injuries sustained in a car crash Tuesday morning in Courtland Township.
She left an indelible mark not only on their beautiful garden but also on the lives of many others.
Diane was widely known for her gardening expertise.
"She was a master gardener, a master naturalist, a master diagnostician," Rod said of his 72-year-old wife.
Together, they tended to their home gardens, marveling at the beauty Diane had envisioned and brought to life.
"We kept pinching ourselves to say, 'you know, I can't believe I live here. It's just so beautiful. But that was the whole point," Rod reflected.
The couple's story began in 1986. Over time, they grew stronger together, cherishing every moment.
"We've always come out together and gotten stronger for it," Rod said, recalling fond memories such as enjoying breakfast on their porch simply because they could.
Now, the porch feels emptier after Rod received the devastating news that changed everything for him.
"A state sheriff's vehicle came up the driveway, and all I said was that she's been in an accident and she's at the hospital," Rod recounted.
Diane passed away at the hospital, a moment that Rod cannot forget.
"They walked me down the hall, and the sheriff was there, and the doctor was there, and we went into a room, and they told me, and I just lost it. I just thought, okay, I can't believe it. I still can't believe it," Rod recalled.
Diane's legacy lives on through the people she connected with as a Michigan State University Master Gardener.
"She's mentored so many people over her life, and directed and guided and offered so much support for making decisions and helping them out," Rod shared.
Her influence is apparent in the gardens of friends, who remember her guidance.
Rod plans to honor Diane’s memory by sharing advice from their relationship: "You never know when something like this is going to happen. And we just, we always had this thing. It's like, whenever you leave, wave goodbye and say goodbye."
As a musician, Rod treasures the harmonious life he shared with Diane.
"I was down in my studio rehearsing, and I came up and I said, I have beautiful instruments and a beautiful studio and a beautiful house with beautiful gardens and a beautiful wife and a beautiful life. I can't believe it. That was the last thing I said to her," he reminisced.
Rod intends to hold a celebration of life for Diane in July, inviting friends and family to commemorate her legacy and impact.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
