Obituary for Diane Elma Newby
Diane Elma Newby was born Diane Elma Clements in Washington, DC on November 26, 1942 to Marjorie and Clarence Clements. She attended Washington, DC Public Schools until her mother remarried and the family moved to Tappahannock, Virginia. There she attended her first year in high school in Virginia amidst the state’s desegregation battles. From there the family moved back to the District of Columbia with Diane graduating from Calvin College High School.
Upon graduating from high school, she got a civil service job with the Federal Government. Being the high achiever that she was, she decided to go to college. She attended Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia. While attending VUU, Diane was initiated into the Alpha Eta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in 1966. She was an outgoing person who had a wide circle of college friends. Diane had a strong sense of humor and a very quick wit, and was a very active participant in the community life of the University. She worked on the VUU Panther Newspaper Staff, sang and toured with the VUU Concert Choir, served on the Pan-Hellenic Council, was a member of the Student National Education Association, was politically active as a member of Young Democrats Club, was a member of the Women’s Senate, and was elected to Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. For her graduate education, she was awarded her Master’s degree in teacher education at Howard University in Washington, DC.
She moved to Michigan and taught in the Mott Community Schools program in Flint for one year prior to entering Western Michigan University for her Specialist and Ed.D in Educational Leadership degrees. She joined the Teacher Education and Professional Development Department at Central Michigan University in the fall of 1991. Prior to her employment at CMU she held several positions: she served as a principal for the Waverly School District, the Pontiac Public Schools, and Oakland University. While at CMU she was a faculty leader in the University’s diversity efforts. She served in various capacities. She was a co-chair of the university’s affirmative action council. She was a founding member of the Association of Faculty and Staff of Color and at some point served as its co-chair. For several years, she administered future teachers workshops for the university’s King-Chavez-Parks program.
There were two highlights of her Central Michigan University career: being a recipient of a Kellogg grant of $1.05 million grant to restructure Hutchins Middle School in Detroit; she supervised 15 student teachers in Tema Ghana at its S.O.S. This two-month stay in Ghana also coincided with the nation’s celebrations of its 50th year of independence.
Diane is survived by her loving husband, Robert Newby, her son Jerhome Petway and two stepdaughters, Bukeka and Makeda Newby, and brother Leon Savage. She has four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A family visitation hour is currently scheduled for 2:00 pm on February 2nd followed by a Memorial Celebration at 3:00 pm at Clark Family Funeral Chapel, 114 S Bradley, Mount Pleasant, MI 48858.
A part of Diane’s treatment was the result of a grant from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Multiple Myeloma is their #1 priority. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the society in the name of Diane Newby.
Upon graduating from high school, she got a civil service job with the Federal Government. Being the high achiever that she was, she decided to go to college. She attended Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia. While attending VUU, Diane was initiated into the Alpha Eta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in 1966. She was an outgoing person who had a wide circle of college friends. Diane had a strong sense of humor and a very quick wit, and was a very active participant in the community life of the University. She worked on the VUU Panther Newspaper Staff, sang and toured with the VUU Concert Choir, served on the Pan-Hellenic Council, was a member of the Student National Education Association, was politically active as a member of Young Democrats Club, was a member of the Women’s Senate, and was elected to Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. For her graduate education, she was awarded her Master’s degree in teacher education at Howard University in Washington, DC.
She moved to Michigan and taught in the Mott Community Schools program in Flint for one year prior to entering Western Michigan University for her Specialist and Ed.D in Educational Leadership degrees. She joined the Teacher Education and Professional Development Department at Central Michigan University in the fall of 1991. Prior to her employment at CMU she held several positions: she served as a principal for the Waverly School District, the Pontiac Public Schools, and Oakland University. While at CMU she was a faculty leader in the University’s diversity efforts. She served in various capacities. She was a co-chair of the university’s affirmative action council. She was a founding member of the Association of Faculty and Staff of Color and at some point served as its co-chair. For several years, she administered future teachers workshops for the university’s King-Chavez-Parks program.
There were two highlights of her Central Michigan University career: being a recipient of a Kellogg grant of $1.05 million grant to restructure Hutchins Middle School in Detroit; she supervised 15 student teachers in Tema Ghana at its S.O.S. This two-month stay in Ghana also coincided with the nation’s celebrations of its 50th year of independence.
Diane is survived by her loving husband, Robert Newby, her son Jerhome Petway and two stepdaughters, Bukeka and Makeda Newby, and brother Leon Savage. She has four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A family visitation hour is currently scheduled for 2:00 pm on February 2nd followed by a Memorial Celebration at 3:00 pm at Clark Family Funeral Chapel, 114 S Bradley, Mount Pleasant, MI 48858.
A part of Diane’s treatment was the result of a grant from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Multiple Myeloma is their #1 priority. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the society in the name of Diane Newby.