Diane J. Cornell ’75

“We note with deep sadness the passing of our beloved classmate Diane J. Cornell ’75, who passed away on Jan. 7, 2020. At Wesleyan, she was known for her boundless energy and the delight she took in her numerous friends. She was a wonderful companion, talking and drinking long into the night and joining in such zany efforts as a collective attempt to levitate a table full of beer bottles to the sounds of Jimi Hendrix playing the ‘Star Spangled Banner.’

“As a student in the College of Letters, she took possession of The Magic Mountain and In the Penal Colony, works that her friends can never hear mentioned without thinking of her. Diane somehow combined a matter-of-fact demeanor with an inexhaustible warmth and a deep commitment to the causes she cared about.

“Since leaving Wesleyan, Diane continued to be a triple threat—as a distinguished communications lawyer, as a national badminton champion and sports executive, and as a political and social activist.  Her extraordinary life has been detailed in an obituary in The Washington Post. She will be profoundly missed by all who knew her.”

Thank you to Philip Swoboda ’75, Jeff Cox ’75, and Gina Novick ’75 for this heartfelt tribute.