Diez, James
DIEZ, James
James Alan Diez, of Decatur, GA, died Friday, May 20, 2022 from lung cancer. Jim had a huge heart and a brilliant mind. He lived his life with a number of guiding principles: kindness, service, justice, curiosity, hard work, creativity. He was a playful and loving father and grandfather, husband, partner, brother, dear friend, biologist, a distinguished teacher and mentor, an activist and agitator, a humanist, an intellectual, and an advocate for community-building and making people's lives better. He volunteered for Decatur festivals, progressive politics, and to improve education and life for refugees and international students. He had a way of making kids and adults alike smile through his playful, caring approach to spreading creativity and fun in this world. Jim had two superpowers: 1) seeing the good in people, especially those that struggle, and mentoring them to the best of their abilities; 2) feeding picky grandkids nutritious food via elaborate and entertaining meal presentations. He enjoyed socializing with friends in his condo building, reverse engineering his favorite restaurant recipes at home, traveling, and tinkering with his old MGB/VW convertibles. He rejected formality, neckties and footwear other than sandals, and his favorite bumper sticker was "Question Authority." Born in Rochester, New York, Jim attended the U. Rochester, U. Chicago, and U. Connecticut, receiving a Ph.D. in biology. After a postdoc at UNC Chapel Hill, he moved with his young family to Atlanta for a position at GA Tech. He then moved to Pace Academy and became a beloved teacher and computer specialist until retirement.
