Diane L. (Grossglass) James, 65, loving wife and mother, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Saturday, August 26, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA. She was born in the city of Lancaster, PA to her late parents, Paul and Janet Grossglass. At the time of her passing, she had been married to Ronald James for nearly 30 years and together they have two children, Carl S. Grossglass of Atlanta, GA and Jessica E. James of Silver Spring, MD. She is also survived by two sisters, Linda Brubaker and Karen Bierly, and a brother, Robert (Bob) Grossglass, all living in Lancaster County, PA. She was preceded in death by her brother Carl E. Grossglass of Lancaster, PA. She leaves behind a host of nieces, nephews, and extended family members and friends. She will be desperately missed.

After graduating from Manheim Township HS, Lancaster, PA in 1969, Diane attended Goddard College in Vermont. In her early life, she worked in Norfolk, Roanoke, and Richmond, VA. She settled in the Washington DC area in the 1970s-80s working at various jobs in bookkeeping and human resources including the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association, the National Women's Democratic Club, and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

In 1980, Diane gave birth to her beloved son, Carl Spencer Grossglass. Shortly thereafter she met her devoted husband, Ron, on a blind date. They were married in 1987 in Rockville, MD, and later that year they relocated to Atlanta, GA. Diane gave birth to her cherished daughter, Jessica Elizabeth James in 1989. While in Atlanta, Diane earned her bachelor's degree in business administration and human resource management from Oglethorpe University.

Diane was employed by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) as Director of Financial and Member Services and subsequently became the Executive Director of the Georgia Society of Association Executives (GSAE) in 1997; she achieved her Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation that year. While at GSAE, Diane began to make her mark in nonprofit associations by growing their membership and providing leadership, organization, and direction. Diane returned to the DC area in 2000, to become the Vice President for Strategic Alliances and Allied Partners at the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and was later named an ASAE Fellow. She worked as an association executive in various women's organizations from 2003-2010 including the Women's Transportation Seminar and its foundation. Diane spent two years as a director at Association Strategies, Inc. At the time of her death, Diane was the Executive Director of Beacon, a regional business executive network, headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. While achieving professional success, Diane made indelible impressions on many and formed long, deep, and lasting friendships in these circles.

Throughout her life, Diane dedicated herself to improving the world around her in big and small ways. In the '70's, she journeyed to China as part of the US-China Peoples Friendship Association to help improve relations between the two countries. She mentored and guided dozens of people both professionally and personally. She was a fierce defender of justice and equality. She was particularly passionate about advancing the social and economic status of women. She organized and participated in innumerable marches, rallies, and protests to end unjust wars, oppose the abuse of state power, advocate for workers' rights to organize unions, and support a woman's right to choose.

Her voice, her smile, and her easy laughter will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved her.

A celebration of Diane's life will be held at 1:00 pm Thursday, September 7, 2017 at the Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church located at 9601 Cedar Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814. In lieu of flowers, donations in Diane's name can be made to Spark the Wave, a non-profit organization that empowers, trains, and mentors youth to impact the world through service in their communities. Diane served as Spark the Wave's founding treasurer for over 13 years. To contribute, send a check to Spark the Wave, PO Box 40038, Washington, DC 20016 or donate online at sparkthewave.org .