Dr. Diane Kelsey McColley, 83, of Urbana passed away at 3:55 p.m. on Friday, January 12, 2018 at Amber Glen Alzheimer's Special Care Unit in Urbana. A private graveside service will be held at Woodlawn Cemetery in Urbana, Illinois.

Diane was born February 9, 1934 in Riverside, California to parents Lauren and Lelah (nee Morris) Kelsey, who preceded her in death. She married Robert McColley in 1958 in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California; he survives. Also surviving are their six children: Rebecca Wilk (David), of Simi Valley, California, Susanna McColley (Russell Brown), of Chicago, Illinois, Teresa McColley (Dennis Haydon), of Santa Rosa, California, Margaret McColley (Russell de Grove), of Tallahassee, Florida, Carolyn McColley Bruguera (Jeffrey Dunn), of Belmont, California, and Robert Lauren McColley (Heather Winters), of Urbana, Illinois. She is also survived by seven grandchildren.

Diane attended the University of California Berkeley, where she earned her bachelor's degree in English. After marriage, she and her husband moved to Urbana, where she earned her PhD at the University of Illinois in 1974. In 1979 she accepted a full-time position at the Camden Campus of Rutgers University in New Jersey, and was rapidly promoted to Professor. She taught English Literature there until her retirement in 2002. She published four books on the topics of the role of Eve in Milton's Paradise Lost, and religious poetry, art, and ecology in 17th Century England. Diane served as President of the Milton Society, and was its honored scholar in 1999. She was a mentor to many in her field.

Diane had an affinity for the English language and delighted in word play and writing personal essays and poetry. She deeply enjoyed music and art. A passionate environmentalist, she was happiest among redwood trees, mountains, oceans, deserts and their inhabitants. A world traveler, she fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting the Galapagos during her retirement. Diane had an acute intellect and valued independence. She will be deeply missed by those who knew and loved her.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the National Resources Defense Council, the World Wildlife Fund, or any organization supporting care of the planet and its most vulnerable inhabitants. Condolences may be offered online at www.renner-wikoffchapel.com.