Diane Marie Duffy

Diane Marie Duffy, age 62, a beloved and devoted mother, wife, sister, daughter, and friend, passed away peacefully on October 12, 2025, surrounded by her family.

Born in Upper Darby, PA on June 7, 1963, Diane grew up with a deep curiosity, kindness, and a love of learning that carried throughout her life. After earning her undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of South Florida, she completed residency training in Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. She was a general pediatrician at Burlington/Mebane Pediatrics for 16 years where she was known for her compassion, dedication, and ability to connect with both her patients and their families. After retiring from practice, she was the founding Director of Clinical Education at Elon University's Department of Physician Assistant Studies for 7 years. Throughout her career, her passion has been to educate; either by working with parents to teach them the optimal care of their children or instilling in our future healthcare providers the skills needed to become a vital part of the patient-centered healthcare team.

Those who knew Diane will remember her gentle laugh, her love of word and math puzzles, books and nature, her affinity for chocolate cake, and her unwavering devotion to family and the UNC Tar Heels. Her presence made ordinary moments feel special, and her warmth will be dearly missed by all whose lives she touched. She had a knack for making everyone comfortable in her presence and always had a smile and a kind word for everyone she met.

She is survived by daughter Sarah Elizabeth Johnson, son Benjamin Matthew Johnson, husband of 36 years Kevin B. Johnson, mother Marie Duffy, father James Duffy Sr., brothers James Duffy, Jr. and Michael Duffy, sister Donna Muchmore, and their spouses, nieces and nephews as well as many dear friends who were like family to her.

A celebration of Diane’s life will be held on October 24, 2025, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, Diane requested that donations be made to any of her favorite charities in her memory: Pretty in Pink Foundation (prettyinpinkfoundation.org), which provides uninsured and under-insured breast cancer patients in North Carolina with financial assistance for lifesaving medical treatment; Women’s Resource Center of Alamance County (wrcac.org), which empowers women to improve, design, and enrich their lives, supporting them through life transitions to achieve stability, self-sufficiency, and success; and Reach Out and Read Carolinas (rorcarolinas.org), which gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together, fostering early literacy and healthy relationships with infants and young children.

The light of her spirit is woven into the fabric of all of us. We are all truly blessed to have spent time with her and been touched by her loving soul. Diane’s kindness, strength, and love will live on in the hearts of those who knew her.

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