Darlene De Vida

1937 - 2025

Darlene M. (Wall) de Vida passed away on November 20, 2025. Born June 15, 1937, she lived for 88 years.

Darlene was a life-long learner who spent more than 60 years in Longview and Kelso. She was a Kelso High School Graduate and spent her early years in the Navy where she served as an electronic technician. After her service, she came to Longview to study computer programming at Lower Columbia College (LCC) in 1963. She received her degree and was hired by the Cowlitz County Public Utilities Division (PUD) to develop the utility's first computerized billing system.

In the 1970's she went back to school Marylhurst University to earn her Bachelor's of Business and continued with her doctorate studies, which lead her to a career spanning five decades at LCC teaching Information Systems, Computer Science, and serving as the Dean of Instruction on two separate occasions. Darlene finally retired from LCC in 2017, where she received Emeritus status. She continued taking courses from universities around the world to keep her mind busy.

Darlene received the Pillars of Strength and Crystal Apple Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce in 2016.

Darlene's love of learning paired well with her embracing the Buddhist faith and receiving Jukai, the commitment and recognition of committing to the Zen Buddhist precepts.

She is survived by her wife, Sharon de Vida, her step-daughters Catherine Miller, Andrea Wolff and Jill Altman and her grandchildren: Ellen and Paige Wolff-Cloud, Emma and Max Miller, and Olivia and Lincoln Altman-Roberts, and her brother Jim Wall. Her legacy lives on in the thousands of students who were graced by her patience, knowledge, and eternal curiosity throughout the years.

A celebration of life will be held on January 6, 2026 at Canterbury Park (1335 3rd Ave, Longview, WA 98632) at 1:30 p.m.

In remembrance of Darlene, please consider a donation to either the Trevor Project (thetrevorproject.org) or the ACLU (aclu.org).