Remembering Mary Diaz

On Friday, many of us woke up to the news of the passing of our dear friend Mary Diaz. Her struggles of just the past few years were over, and now she is at peace. It’s difficult. While we know she struggled, Mary herself always made us think that everything was going to be okay. We have never met a more brave, upbeat and confident person. A true champion of education and equality. And we have to add that Mary was a woman who knew how to have fun. She was here to make a difference, and that’s exactly what she did. Mary passed away on Thursday, November 20, 2020, her kidneys no longer sustained her.

Born and raised in Ogallala, Nebraska, she moved to Colorado in 1971 to attend the University of Colorado. Following college, she worked for 34 years as a Network Analyst at the University of Colorado College of Nursing in the Student Admissions and Services Office. Mary retired in 2010, and spent much of her time volunteering with KUVO.

At KUVO, she was a supervisor on the phone banks during pledge drives. She stepped in at the front desk to greet guests. She helped organize the station’s Live at the Vineyards summer fundraising event and helped at the event. She helped with so many development projects over the last 15 years and was named Volunteer of the Year in 2017!

“We shared so much through the years, Mary was the most valuable volunteer to so many,” posted Gene Lucero on Facebook. So true. We may never really know the depth of her community involvement.

• Mary organized and started a reunion of Chicano alumni in 1986 at her beloved CU in Boulder.
• Hundreds of students were helped through the years because of her building the CU Hispanic Alumni Association, her work on the annual dinner-dance and through her direct involvement in the scholarship program.
• While at the University of Colorado, she actively recruited Latino/a students to the University.
• For these long-standing efforts to increase diversity at the University, she received the Thomas Jefferson Award in 2007, Employee of the Year in 2008 and Campus Diversity Award in 2009.
• She volunteered to help with the Chili Open Golf Tournaments, in spite of not knowing anything about golf.
• She rose to leadership positions with the American G.I. Forum, serving as one of the driving forces on hamburger night, Broncos games, the Enchilada Open, the talent shows, and weekend dances.
• “Yes” was her favorite word when she was asked to help, and “No” was a word that you could not say to her. The Unsung Heroine award given her recently by the Latina’s First Foundation very aptly described Mary.
• Mary worked with the Colorado Hispanic Nurses Association.
• Mary assisted in the formation of the  Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy, and Research Organization (CLLARO).
• She volunteered for the Colorado Latino Forum (CLF).
• Mary loved her friends, music, shopping, going out to eat, the Broncos, and her favorite color was purple.

Gene’s words ring true, “She is now in her heavenly home waving CU, Viva la Raza  and Viva el Veterano flags smiling upon us with that big, embracing, infectious smile and loving twinkle in her eyes.”

We will always love you and we thank you for being our friend. Rest in peace Mary.

Pictures: Top-Mary at the KUVO front desk, middle-Mary celebrating her birthday, bottom-Mary with a group at Live at the Vineyard including Poncho Sanchez