John Bligh
- Teacher
- IS 61, Queens
Students at IS 61 in Queens will honor their music teacher, Diony Diaz, who inspired others through his passion for music, with a page of tributes in their 2020 school yearbook.
“He was a great man, a great teacher and, more important, a great friend. May he rest in peace,” one student wrote.
“This really hurts,” another student wrote. “He was more than a teacher. He was someone that was very relatable and who taught us some life lessons.”
Diony, 33, who died of coronavirus on April 2, was remembered by another student as “always full of joy.”
Drama teacher Lucy Scully was in the Talent Department with Diony. “When Diony first started teaching eight years ago,“ she said, “he jumped right in and started an after-school strings program that included guitar and violin. He was a mentor to his students and always made time to support them emotionally, socially and academically. His door was always open, even after school.”
Diony was the musical and vocal director of the Corona school’s musical, “The Lion King, Jr.”
A Staten Island resident, Diony played piano in his church for 14 years. He also played in a band while he was going to school.
Diony is survived by his wife, Brittany, who was his high school sweetheart; his daughters, Penny and Grace; and his mother, Elida Diaz.
There is a GoFundMe page at:
My condolences to the wife and children of Mr. Diony Diaz. The seeds of knowledge that he planted in the lives of his students will reap a great harvest.