Diane Davis

Diane Davis, a lifelong Idahoan of Welsh descent, passed away on July 5, 2026, in

Pocatello, Idaho. She was 93.

Born in Malad on October 17, 1932, Diane was the daughter of Griff Jr. and Evelyn

Davis (née Kerns). She grew up alongside her older brother, Bob, and younger sister,

Nancy, in a community where neighbors knew one another by name and friendships

often lasted a lifetime. Diane delighted in recounting childhood adventures, especially

the days she and Nancy accompanied their father as he traveled through the

countryside buying wool. She also loved reminiscing about playing cowboys and Indians

with her lifelong friend, Davy Anderson, beneath the quiet, tree-lined streets of their

neighborhood.

Diane embraced life with curiosity, courage, and generosity. She was a devoted

daughter, sister, aunt, and friend; a fearless advocate for women; an intrepid traveler; a

passionate fan of women's soccer; an avid birder; a silver-haired shredder of ski slopes;

and, though she rarely admitted it, a hopeless romantic.

She earned her bachelor's degree in business from Idaho State University and began

her career with Idaho Power Company. Drawn to helping others, she returned to Idaho

State University to earn a Master of Education in Counseling. After counseling students

at Hawthorne Junior High School, Diane joined the Idaho State University Counseling

Center in 1967, where she found the work that would become her life's calling.

Throughout her career, and well into retirement, Diane dedicated herself to helping

women discover confidence, independence, and opportunity. She encouraged others to

recognize strengths they could not yet see in themselves and inspired countless women

to pursue lives they had never imagined possible. Her legacy is measured not by titles

or accomplishments, but by the many lives forever changed through her guidance,

compassion, and unwavering belief in their potential.

Generosity came as naturally to Diane as breathing. She gave freely of her time,

wisdom, and heart to family, friends, and strangers who were often simply friends she

had not yet met. She found particular happiness on the Oregon coast, where she

delighted in exploring tide pools, collecting shells, crabbing from docks, and sharing

each new discovery with her nieces and nephews. Those days of salt air, laughter, and

wonder became cherished memories for everyone fortunate enough to share them.

Diane is survived by her sister, Nancy Gentry; her nieces, Gina Bauer (Andy) and

Stephanie Rushing; her nephews, Brett Allison and Kyle Davis; their families; and a

wide circle of lifelong friends whose lives were enriched by her kindness and steadfast

friendship.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Robert Davis; and her

nephews, Kerry Davis and baby boy Davis.

Her greatest legacy lives not in monuments, but in the confidence she helped others

find within themselves.

In lieu of flowers, Diane would encourage you to honor her memory by supporting a

cause that speaks to your own heart, just as she spent her life supporting the dreams

and hopes of others.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date.