This past Tuesday, as we were doing the final preparations to publish this week’s articles, I learned that the author of one of those articles, Diane Wirth, had entered hospice care and was not doing well. One of Diane’s sons asked that I send him a copy of her article so that he could see it, as his mother could not, at that time, share it with him. I was happy to do so.

Yesterday, on the day her article was published in Interpreter, I discovered that Diane had, indeed, passed away after a long and productive life. In the words of one family member, “we are so proud of her and her life’s work.” They have reason to be, and we appreciate the opportunity to help bring a portion of that life’s work to others.

Diane was a remarkable woman and a joy to work with. Her final article—the one I just mentioned—was submitted to us for consideration in the first week of 2024. It went through our normal consideration and publication process, and Diane was helpful, responsive, and professional every step of the way. The article was typeset and complete on October 3. I emailed back and forth with her at that time, doing the final proofing on the article, to make sure everything was right. She never mentioned a word about any personal problems or illnesses.

We have published two articles by Diane in the pages of Interpreter. The one yesterday, “Birth and Rebirth: The Fish in Mesoamerican Art and Its Implication on Stela 5, Izapa, Chiapas, Mexico,” and the first in 2015, “Celestial Visits in the Scriptures, and a Plausible Mesoamerican Tradition.” That is not the sum total of her publishing, however. Other publications are listed in her short biography, at the end the two articles just mentioned, and in her obituary.

We were shocked and saddened to hear of Diane’s passing, and yet we were honored to publish her final article. As the family stated, her’s was “a life rich in tntellect, creativity, and dedication.” We express our sincere condolences to Diane’s family and friends and trust that everyone who knew and loved her can find solace and peace in the certain hope offered through Jesus Christ.