DIANE J. MUNDT

1955 – 2013

HULL, MA – Diane J. Mundt, PhD was tragically killed along with her niece, Amanda Mundt, and Meagan Bell who were all returning to the airport in Port au Prince, Haiti, after completing a work project for the people of Haiti.  Her brother, Kenneth Mundt, Meagan’s parents Dave and Beverly Bell and two Haitian coworkers were injured in the accident. Diane was a resident of Hull, MA, formerly from West Springfield.  Her husband, Alan Soudakoff, passed away November 1, 2010.

Diane was born in Springfield on Dec. 29, 1955 to Arthur and Jean (Symancyk) Mundt. She was a graduate of West Springfield High School. Diane attended Concordia College in Bronxville, NY and was a graduate of Valparaiso University in Indiana. She earned a Masters degree from the Harvard School of Public Health and a Doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She has worked in the field of epidemiology and public health policy in Washington DC, Chicago and Massachusetts and was a Principal Consultant at ENVIRON International Corporation.  Diane served as a member of the Board of Directors of MEDICHEM, the international scientific association for occupational and environmental health in the production and use of chemicals.

Besides her parents who reside in Hadley, formerly of West Springfield, she leaves her brother and sister-in-law Kenneth and Elizabeth Mundt of Amherst. Also, her niece Sarah Mundt of Boulder, Colorado and nephew Zachary Mundt of Amherst and extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins.

Calling hours for Diane and Amanda will be held at the Douglass Funeral Service, 87 North Pleasant St., Amherst on Fri. July 26 from 3 – 8 pm. A service in celebration of their lives will take place at South Congregational Church, 1066 South East Street, Amherst, MA, on Sat. July 27 at 11:00 a.m. followed immediately by a light lunch reception at the Church.  Burials will be at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Opportunities for Communities, Inc., 260 Lincoln Ave., Amherst MA 01002. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.