Diane Thayer, the first chair of the Garrett Community College Board of Trustees, passed away Saturday at Goodwill Retirement Community. Thayer – whose husband, the late Frederick A Thayer III, was a distinguished Garrett County jurist – was 90 years old.
“I thought it was imperative for a community college to be established in Garrett County,” said Thayer in an interview celebrating the College’s 50th anniversary in 2022. “I thought the technical programs were of prime importance to help the children of Garrett County earn a living in Garrett County. I’m a big fan of our community college in Garrett County and in the community college concept.”
Thayer said the original Board of Trustees had a specific reason for selecting the site of the college’s main campus in McHenry.
“That site was selected because it was equally accessible to the northern end and southern end of Garrett County,” said Thayer, noting the location of the college has made it a central focus of county activity.
Thayer was appointed by the Garrett County Board of Education – the original controlling entity for the College – to be the first chair of the Board of Trustees. She is the longest-serving board chair in College history, serving in that role from 1969 to 1979, and retired from the Board in 1984.
“Chair Thayer played a critical role in both the establishment and successful launch of what was then Garrett Community College,” said Dr. Richard Midcap, Garrett College’s president. “Our entire College community is saddened by her recent passing.”
Thayer died just 12 days after another major figure in the College’s history – Dr. Stephen J. Herman, GC’s longest-serving president (1986-2006) – passed away.
“It’s been a sad month for the College,” said Midcap. “Our hearts go out to the Thayer and Hermann families.”
One of Thayer’s most cherished College memories was of the Class of 1973, which was the first graduating class.
“I can remember that first graduation,” said Thayer during the 50th-anniversary interview, noting it took place in the old gymnasium that was renovated and expanded to become the Performing Arts Center at Garrett College in 2022. “I congratulated the citizens of Garrett County for having the foresight to establish the community college. It was just an overwhelming emotion.”
Thayer was a longtime parishioner of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church of Oakland and a volunteer at the Nearly New Shop and the nearby Transportation Museum. She was also an avid gardener and Pittsburgh Steelers fan.
Thayer graduated from the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, where she met and married the future Judge Thayer. She taught elementary school in North Carolina while her husband studied law at Duke University School of Law. The couple eventually moved to Oakland to start their family.
