Deedee died June 7, 2010, in Madison, Wis., of breast cancer.
Deedee came to Princeton from Hunter College (N.Y.) High School and the University of Chicago. She majored in biology. Her favorite memories of Princeton were the library facilities, the first Earth Day, and the senior thesis. She wishes the women in the class had more chances to bond with/support one another.
Deedee married Bill Kirtz in 1972, was divorced in 1984, and had no children. In the 1970s she was a resident student at a Buddhist retreat center, translating classical Tibetan texts, assisting refugees, growing vegetables, and milking goats. She later earned a Ph.D. in environmental epidemiology from the University of Wisconsin in 1988, working on a "Reproductive Hazards in the Workplace" grant from the March of Dimes.
While in Madison Deedee also “helped cook in the local soup kitchen, just a few blocks from the computer-filled, affluent university offices, where I earn my keep.” She followed this with postdoctoral work at the University of Washington.
Pursuing her long interest in Buddhism, Deedee traveled to India in 1991. In New Jersey she founded New Moves Yoga, became a certified practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method, and led training classes on meditation, which provided help and inspiration to many. Having trained at the Martha Graham School of Dance, Deedee danced throughout her life.
Her friends and family fondly remember her as a dancer, teacher, scientist, independent thinker, community builder, peace activist, great cook, organic farmer, and joyful spirit.
To her sister, Joni, her mother, Justine, and her many other friends and family, the class extends its deepest condolences.