This week, our friend and emeritus faculty member, Diana Belland, lost her battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Diana was a graduate of The Juilliard School and prior to entering Juilliard, she had made her debut at age 15 playing the Mendelssohn G minor Concerto with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra. She went on to earn her masters and doctorate degrees at the Ohio State University and taught music at EKU and Pikeville before coming to NKU to teach and perform for the next almost four decades, retiring in 2018. Diana was a gifted pianist, beloved teacher, and dear colleague.



Diana had an incredible curiosity and wished for a lifetime of opportunities to read and learn as much as possible about life and the universe. She desired to travel the world and in recent years had gone to Ireland and England to trace family roots, finding extended relatives whose friendships she treasured. She was passionate about spending time in nature, often going to the Cincinnati Nature Center for long walks and taking hiking trips to Hocking Hills. She had been looking forward to spending her retirement enjoying activities like water painting and learning to play the fiddle. Most importantly, she had been looking forward to spending time with her husband and children; Diana’s greatest joy in life was her three daughters of whom she was exceptionally proud. Diana will be sorely missed.



We invite you to read Diana's story that she had recently shared as part of ALS Awareness Month. The family is in the beginning stages of planning to honor Diana’s life likely in a small informal ceremony with a simultaneous virtual component given current public health restrictions. A date has not been determined at this time, but they are aiming for 4-6 weeks from now. If you have any joyful memories or funny stories to share about Diana, please email Kimberly Lazzeri, Music Program Head (gelbwassek1@nku.edu).



Please see the link below:

https://www.smore.com/wehx5-in-loving-memory-diana-belland