Diane NELSON Obituary

NELSON, Diane

Duke Professor and Human Rights Defender, dies at 58.

Diane Michelle Nelson, born on June 5, 1963, to Donald and Lois Nelson of Oxford, OH, passed away at her home in Carrboro, NC, on April 28th, 2022, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Diane was a graduate of Talawanda High School (1981) where she was a National Merit semifinalist. She attended Wellesley College, was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society and did a year abroad in Seville, Spain. After a brief time living in Boston working for human rights groups, she had the opportunity to do field work in Guatemala, an experience that would influence the course of her life from then on. She earned her Ph.D from Stanford University (1996) and was on the faculty of Lewis and Clark College in Portland before receiving an appointment at Duke University in Durham, NC, in 2001 where she was a tenured professor of cultural anthropology at the time of her death.

Diane spent a lifetime advocating for the rights of those less fortunate and the disenfranchised. Her research on Guatemala led to the publication of three books and scores of articles that chronicled the 36-year civil war in that country and its aftermath.

Her reputation as an accomplished scholar gained her the recognition and respect of other scholars throughout the country and the world. She was much loved by her students and was named Professor of the Year multiple times. Diane was always upbeat, selfless, enthusiastic and positive and, even in the face of her cancer diagnosis, she never let it break her spirit.

She is survived by her parents; her husband Mark Driscoll of Carrboro; her sister Erika of Oxford, OH; two brothers, Philip of Osaka, Japan and Brian of Denver; and five nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, Diane requested contributions to her favorite charities:

Maya Education Fund

https://mayaedufound.org/

Greenpeace

https://www.greenpeace.org/international/

EarthJustice

https://earthjustice.org/

Details about a celebration-of-life ceremony will be forthcoming.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Journal-News on May 3, 2022.

Memories and Condolences
for Diane NELSON

3 Entries

Starr Phoenix

January 21, 2023

Diane was my favorite professor at Lewis and Clark in the late 90's. She was everyone's favorite really. Bubbly and funny and dynamic and whip smart. She was the epitome of the woman I hoped to become. I am so grateful for everything she taught me about sociology, anthropology, feminism and the world. Diane was a true goddess and I am so very sad that she has passed. Much love to her family and friends.

Debra Westenskow

May 13, 2022

I was a bus driver at Duke when I met this amazing woman. The kindest most upbeat person I have every met. Would always be flying g around on her bike and always a smile and a wave. She will be so very much missed.

Elisabeth Nicholson

May 11, 2022

Dear Mark and family:

On behalf of the Maya Educational Foundation (MEF), we are sending our heartfelt condolences.
My colleagues and I met Diane at LASA and GSN conferences in the past in the US and in Guatemala at the more recent GSN meetings. She always had good, productive comments and a smile when she stopped at our MEF display table. She asked about the Maya students we support with university scholarships in Guatemala and was always genuinely interested in them.

We will miss seeing her very, very much. She was a shining light in the crowd.

We are touched that she thought of MEF in her last weeks. - As donations come in to MEF in her honor, we will keep you apprised. Already, enough contributions came in to support two students for a whole academic year. We hope that that would make her smile.

We wish you strength and courage in this difficult time.

With warm regards,
Elisabeth S. Nicholson
Maya Educational Foundation
www.mayaedufound.org
phone: 508-349-1330

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