Christine Lee Diehl

life story

Christine the Astonishing

About Christine

Christine was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1965, the second child of Keith Diehl and Carrol Morrow. Born into a Navy family, she moved frequently, but was raised mainly in southeast PA, and remained proud of her Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. She also fondly shared stories of a childhood year spent in Newfoundland.

She attended Warwick High School in Lititz, PA and graduated in 1983. In 1985, Christine moved to San Francisco. She earned an undergraduate degree from San Francisco State and a PhD in Education from UC Berkeley.

Education was Christine’s passion. She lectured at UC Berkeley, helping train new generations of teachers, before returning to earn her own classroom teaching credentials. She later taught math and science at James Lick Middle School in San Francisco, where she made a lasting impact on her students.

In 1988, she met Brian Tierney, who would become her lifelong partner and traveling companion. They were married at Burning Man in 1996.

Christine and Brian lived for many years in San Francisco’s Mission District, interrupted by an 18-month stay in the then-rustic village of Saint-Genis, France, near the Swiss border outside of Geneva. There, she completed her PhD dissertation while Brian was on sabbatical at CERN.

Later, they bought a second home near Grass Valley, California to avoid the cold and fog of Bay Area summers, and hosted many parties and music jams on the property over the years. From 2003-2017 they split their time between San Francisco and Grass Valley, and starting in 2017 they split their time between Grass Valley and New Orleans until 2023, when they moved to New Orleans full time. But she always said San Francisco was her favorite.

Together, they traveled the world culminating in two epic trips: seven months in Southeast Asia and Japan in 2017 followed by five months in Alaska in 2022.

Christine brought warmth and light to all who knew her and was deeply committed to service. In addition to teaching, she volunteered with numerous organizations, including food banks, homeless shelters, and community kitchens.

In a kitchen, Christine reigned. She delighted in preparing meals for friends, from intimate dinners to large gatherings. Her Halloween parties - and costumes - were legend. During her travels, she eagerly took cooking classes around the world and loved sharing what she learned, treating guests in Grass Valley to Moroccan dishes, Vietnamese specialties, and many other international cuisines.

And there was Burning Man… Christine and Brian were old school. They first attended in 1992 - before tickets or fences. Of the few hundred fellow revelers in the early years, many would become their closest friends over the years. They went every year 92-99, and again in 2002 and 2005, and got married there in 1996 at Trego Hot Springs.

Sadly Christine experienced a number of health issues after COVID, which gradually worsened.

She is survived by her husband Brian Tierney, sister Donna Heeter, half-sister Kate MacNeil, and half-brother Terry Diehl.

More photos of Christine's joy for life can be seen here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/anvxSxMDraNswKfn6

memorial service

Celebration of Life

October 10, 2026

Golden Gate Park San Francisco, CA, USA

The main celebration for Christine will be October 10 in Golden Gate Park. Christine wanted to have a bench placed there in her honor. If you want to contribute, email christinememorialdonation@gmail.com

Details available here: https://fb.me/e/99AQzYBkk

A smaller celebration was held in New Orleans on June 20th.