Diane Robinson

We are devastated to announce the passing of well-loved, long-time CSIR Board member, Diane Robinson, on January 23, 2021, after a short and courageous battle with cancer. As the liaison between the CSIR and GI Society Boards, and due to her deep involvement in many aspects of the GI Society activities, her passing has been a great loss to our staff, both Boards, and our medical advisory council. All who had the opportunity to know Diane will miss her immensely. On a personal note, I have been Diane’s friend since the mid-70s and know her family well, who are grieving.

Born on April 19, 1947, in Montreal, Quebec, Diane chose to make Vancouver her home in the early 70s. Her professional career included senior management level positions at the Canadian Diabetes Association (now Diabetes Canada), Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver Symphony and, most recently, as the CEO of Parkinson Society BC for 9 years before retiring in 2013. Early in her career, she worked in sales for an airline, then marketing and communications in the tourism industry. She was the founder of Vancouver AM Tourist Association.

Wisdom was her core business aspect; she grounded herself in good marketing practice, with a solid passion for strategic planning, which she brought with her to all her jobs. In everything she did, she underpinned it with an amazing work ethic. She was a bold truth-teller. She nurtured a wide array of truly remarkable friends along the way.

Diane has always derived immense pleasure in volunteering. In the ’70s and ’80s she helped at the Vancouver Sea Festival and was recently volunteering for various arts initiatives, with so many diverse contributions in the intervening years.

Diane had faithfully volunteered on the CSIR Board until her passing. She was our public speaker and moderator for the interactive portions of our BadGut® Lectures in French in Quebec. Diane was the first to help – offering matchless organizing skills – with our Inside Affairs in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, and was a major supporter of our Elements Gala in 2008.

Travelling was her passion and she loved the ocean and spending time at the beach. She was a genuine, caring, passionate, courageous, funny, and classy woman with a huge heart and sparkling eyes. Diane was always the life and soul of the party and loved to cook and entertain family and friends in her home.

We spoke about once or twice a week until the end. When I visited her shortly before she died, after she learned the magnitude of her cancer diagnosis, she lamented, “But, I have so much more to give.” That was always her heart – giving!

Gail Attara