Diane Walker

Diane Burke Walker died of heart failure on the evening of Monday, March 2, 2026. She had lived in Moscow, Idaho, since 1968 and was the daughter of Marion L. Burke and Edmund J. Burke, Sr. She is survived by her nephews, Edmund James Burke III, Richard C. Burke, and Terence A. Burke, and their children and grandchildren.

Years ago, she told one of her nephews that her aim in life was “to be the eccentric old lady in the neighborhood.” Freshly out of college in the early 1960s, Diane named her first dog “Dammit” so that she could happily scandalize neighbors by calling out, “Come here, Dammit!” Upon turning 45, she threw herself a “Halfway to 90” party. When another of her nephews mentioned that he had eaten bear sausage in Siberia, Diane had very specific advice on how to best cook bear meat. She signed a note to one of her grandnieces, “Great Aunt Diane,” and added “with the emphasis on the GREAT!” Friends generally agreed with the first nephew’s judgment that she nailed her aim in life.

Diane Elizabeth Burke was born July 20, 1939, and grew up in Rockville Center, New York. Loving dance from her early years, she took lessons from a teacher in a dance studio in the Carnegie Hall building. Her passion led her to the Boston Conservatory, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance, and then on to Colorado State University and a master’s degree. Diane married Richard Walker (1963), and they had two children before divorcing (1975). Eric and Erin Walker grew up in Moscow, where they were well known. Tragically, both died in traffic accidents: Eric (1965-1985) and Erin (1970-2013).

Diane taught dance at the University of Idaho from 1968 until 1999. Her activities while there were many, various, and significant. She developed the state’s first degree programs in dance, at both the bachelor’s and the master’s levels. In order that students might better understand the physical side of dancing, she required them to study human anatomy and kinesiology as well as the artistry of dance. She founded and directed the UI Center for Dance. In addition to her work on campus as a teacher, choreographer, concert promoter, advisor, and administrator, she served on the Idaho Humanities Standards Committee, and was a founding member of the Idaho Alliance for Arts Education. In the early 1970s, she wrote the country’s first curriculum guide for teaching dance, which helped spread dance instruction in schools across the country.

One of Diane’s great interests was in spreading a love of dance to people with a limited exposure to it and, often, with no previous occasion to think much about dance as an art. A friend and colleague of hers said that “She had an uncanny ability to convince non-dancers (almost everyone in a choir) that they could add graceful movement to a wide range of liturgical and choral presentations. And, by the grace of Diane, we did it confidently.”

Apart from her teaching many hundreds of students over the years, Diane’s biggest contribution to dance in Idaho began when she and Professor Dan Bukvich of the Lionel Hampton School of Music created the Dancers Drummers Dreamers program. Since 1992, it has engaged UI students in composing, choreographing, and performing for local audiences. For years, these students would then spend a week travelling across parts of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, teaching high school students the pleasures of dancing, drumming, and dreaming. In recent years, participants in DDD sent her thank-you cards and spoke of the impact that the program had on them. “Thank you for creating such a wonderful tradition,” one wrote. “You are amazing!!”

Diane didn’t suffer fools gladly, but her contributions to the University, including creating the Diane B. Walker Dance Faculty Endowment, were substantial and long-lasting. She was larger than life, a professional who aimed high. In an interview, she described applying for a Dance America grant to bring acclaimed dancer/choreographer Bill Evans to campus: “I wrote this huge grant that was over-the-top big! I thought, by golly I’m going to write something that nobody else can top. It’s going to have everything in it!” Her exuberant effort paid off: during two weeks at the University in 2002, Evans and his dance company choreographed and performed a site-specific work titled Landscapes Idaho.

Diane had a great capacity for enjoying life. After retiring, she joined a local marimba band and played enthusiastically for years. She loved to travel, and together with Erin, she toured with the Jubilate! choir, singing in Russia, Australia, Japan, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Cuba, and China. Diane read voraciously and had a boundless curiosity. She had many wonderful friends, who gave her generous and loving support in her final years. With her great sense of humor, she was always fun to visit and chat with. And she got kind and compassionate care from the people at Paradise Creek Health and Rehabilitation, where she lived for the last 33 months.

Diane was a person who knew her mind—and what a sharp, inquisitive, and creative mind it was!

A memorial service is planned to take place in Moscow’s 1912 Center in July; details will be announced later.