Patricia "Dianne" Graham

Patricia Dianne Graham died in Athens, GA on June 22, 2023 from complications following a well-fought battle against cancer.

She spent her last hours at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center surrounded by family members who loved her immeasurably, along with an outstanding hospital staff.

Dianne was born to Donald L. Blevins & Catherine Adkins Blevins in Chattanooga, TN on October 19, 1947.

She spent her early years in Chattanooga, a city she loved and returned to frequently throughout her life. She earned her undergraduate degree from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Georgia. While in Athens she met her husband Mark, to whom she was married for 46 years. After a career in social work, her final position was at the University of Georgia, where she worked with pre-nursing and pre-pharmacy students as an academic advisor. Her love for people made her so well suited for this job — earning her the Outstanding Academic Advisor Award, which recognized her commitment to the students she advised, many of whom kept in touch with her after graduation.

After her retirement from UGA, she volunteered for ARMC as a patient coordinator, visiting patients throughout the hospital. She also volunteered as a model patient for the Medical College of Georgia, where she would pretend to have various ailments and allow the medical students to practice their skills in diagnosing her. She had so much fun with this job and kept the students on their toes!

Dianne had an adventuresome spirit. She and Mark shared trips to varied locations, once heading for Maine, turning left and ending up in Santa Monica, CA. She was known to hitch a ride on a crop duster, trek to the bottom of a canyon, or travel with Mark on their Harley. She loved living life to the fullest.

She also had a tenacious spirit, which she demonstrated when she was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2007 and was told she would be on dialysis within a year. Because of her spirit and commitment to lifestyle changes, she lived for ten years without dialysis, and then until the end of her life with a kidney from her daughter, Jennifer.

Dianne’s Christian faith was of deep importance to her, and when she wasn’t volunteering, she spent much of her time with her church family at Athens First United Methodist Church, where she was a member of The Disciples Sunday School Class and served as a delegate for the North Georgia Conference.

She was an avid knitter and reader, and had a deep love for Uganda after traveling there in 2008. Most of her free time was spent doing what she loved most, serving and connecting with others. This was a thread throughout her entire life. She could find common ground with just about anybody. Because of this, Dianne had a varied and extraordinary group of friends, and was loved by them for her loyalty, kindness, and humor.

What she loved most about retirement was having time to spend visiting with her children and her grandchildren who brought her immense joy, as she did to them. Dianne had a deeply kind and compassionate heart, and the best listening ear of anyone we know. She was one of a kind and such a gift to those who knew her.

Dianne is survived by her husband, Mark Graham, her three daughters, Melanie Epting (Daniel), Jennifer Graham, and Christina Bridges (Ben), and her four grandchildren, June and Benjamin Bridges, and Graham and Cora Epting.

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 11:00 AM, at Athens First United Methodist Church.

Lord & Stephens Funeral Home, EAST, Athens is entrusted with arrangements. www.lordandstephens.com.