Diane Mebinga Christ

Diane Mebinga Christ, 53, of Arizona and Togo, passed peacefully at John C. Lincoln Hospital on Saturday, March 21, 2026, after a years-long illness, surrounded by music, laughter, and the love of family and friends. Even in her final moments, she embodied an enduring truth—“Still I rise.”

Born on October 4, 1972, in Lomé, Togo, and baptized on August 25, 1974, Diane was premature, yet already carried the strength and determination that would shape her life. As a child, affectionately known as “Little Mebinga,” she was the mirror image of her mother, Mebinga, of the Nawadoum tribe, inheriting her grace, resilience, and spirit. When she moved to Arizona in 1981, she brought that same strength, building a life filled with love.

She attended Apollo High School and later the University of Arizona, where she studied sociology and joined Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. Diane embraced life with enthusiasm, she loved sports, especially basketball, football, and volleyball, and was a devoted Wildcats fan who faithfully cheered each season.

Diane lived a life defined by love in action; she loved deeply, laughed freely, and gave without hesitation. Her sons and grandchildren were the center of her world, and she poured herself into them. She brought people together through food, expressing love in every dish, from fried chicken to spring rolls to macaroni and cheese, creating connection and comfort.

A charismatic storyteller, Diane could turn simple moments into laughter that filled a room. Her kindness felt beyond her family, helping neighbors, feeding those in need, and opening her home to cats and dogs. She gave them not just shelter, but belonging, and adored her own, Po, Susie, and Penny, as part of her family.

Preceded in death by her beloved mother, Mebinga, Diane leaves behind a legacy of love carried on by her sons, Jaylin and Nicholas (and his wife, Patty); her cherished grandchildren, Camila and Colette; her siblings, Nannette, Ellon, Brian, Thoai, and Ngoc; her father, Dean; her nieces and nephews, Andrew, Delilah, Lynette, Briana, Nicolette, Caroline, Lynn, and Charlie, and many extended family members and friends whose lives she touched deeply.

In keeping with her wishes, Diane will be cremated. A memorial service will be held at Christ Church Lutheran, 3901 E. Indian School Road, on Saturday, March 28, with a viewing at 2:00 p.m. and the service at 3:00 p.m.

She began her life prematurely, already rising, fighting for her place in this world, and she never stopped. Through illness and joy, through every act of love, she rose again and again. And now, in every life she shaped, every story retold, every meal remembered, and every act of kindness carried forward, she rises still. Still, she rises.