Diana Jieli Zhu

Diana Zhu passed away unexpectedly on August 28th, 2026.

Her death was tragic, sudden, and unfair. She was making plans for upcoming travel with her partner, delivered a heartwarming speech at her brother’s wedding in New Jersey in May, celebrated her own 35th birthday just last month, and had been reconnecting with family across the country. She still had her whole life ahead of her.

Diana was born in Lehigh, Pennsylvania and grew up in Central Jersey. She was an accomplished student, musician, athlete, and an all-around renaissance woman.

She was an exemplary older sister and was always incredibly capable; regularly juggling track, violin, and frisbee practice alongside school work while also finding time to cook and care for her little brother.

Her list of accomplishments is long. She left behind a high school legacy so strong that even 3 years after her graduation, her brother Ben was still referred to as “Diana’s little brother”. She was recruited for track, graduated from MIT in only three years, completed medical school at UC Irvine, and matched into Orthopedic Surgery Residency at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. She was talented at anything she put her mind to. But what was most important about Diana, beyond her academic accolades, was that she was kind and generous to everyone that she met, constantly trying to give and do things for others.

In her last 2 years living in Seattle she not only became a prolific watercolor painter, but also an artisan. She made so many handcrafted items including leather-bound notebooks, handbags, and embroidered pieces, many of which she gifted to friends and family.

Diana is survived by her mother Linda, brother Ben, sister-in-law Vicky, godparents Susan Wu & Yang Ming, and so many more cousins, aunts and uncles who she cared for deeply.

She is also survived by her longtime partner Ranjan, and her pride and joy Delta, an energetic and smart golden retriever who loved Diana with all of his heart.

A memorial service was held in her honor on Sunday September 6th in Seattle.