Dianne Elise McCallister

Dianne Elise McCallister of Greenwood Village, Colorado peacefully passed away on March 10, 2024 at her home and surrounded by family after a long and hard-fought battle with Colon Cancer. Dianne was born to Donald and Dolores Thorpe in Ann Arbor, Michigan on February 10, 1960.  

Dianne is survived by her loving and devoted husband, Tom McCallister; children Andrew McCallister (Melissa McMillian), Chris McCallister, & Kelsey (McCallister) Arnold (Sean Arnold); parents Donald and Dolores Thorpe; siblings Denise Thorpe (John Weistart), Dave Thorpe (Patty Berryman); five grandchildren Hailey, Olivia, Joshua, Zoe, and Mia McCallister, and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends, all of whom she loved dearly.

Dianne was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and physician. Her family was the light of her life. She took great pride in each of them, and nothing made her happier than spending time with her children and their families. She loved to garden in her beautiful yard, tended so carefully by her husband Tom. She and her grandchildren created fairy gardens and invited the fairies for parties in the moonlight. She also loved all things Swedish: Santa Lucia, Midsommar, and Christmas Eve were favorite celebrations.

Dianne’s smile always lit up a room and her presence created a sense of comfort and calm for all she met, making her an amazing Doctor. She also had an amazing diagnostic mind and a wonderful capacity to connect with people so they felt heard, and so groups of people she worked with could grow to hear one another. She earned her Bachelor of Science from North Park University in Chicago, Illinois, and her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Colorado. Dianne did her internship and residency, then served as chief resident, at Presbyterian St. Luke’s in Denver. She practiced as a physician in internal medicine with several different practice groups and cherished to opportunity to offer direct care to patients for many years. Later in life, she earned her Master of Business Administration from the University of Denver and became Chief Medical Officer at a number of hospitals in the Denver area. 

Dianne had a passion for Physician Wellbeing and a commitment to the care and support of doctors as whole people. She cofounded the Collation for Physician Wellbeing, an organization dedicated to helping care providers take care of themselves. The mission of the Collation for Physician wellbeing expresses many of Dianne’s deepest commitments: “We promote personal and professional fulfillment for physicians by building healthy families and productive collegial relationships, encouraging teamwork and collaboration in the clinical and administrative setting, thereby enhancing hospital culture and improving the safety, quality, and humanity of patient care. We also embrace physician wholeness, which we understand to encompass physical, mental, social, and spiritual health, which supports the embodiment of our work as a ministry of healing.” Related to this commitment to the care for patients, staff, and physicians, she was also a gentle and steely advocate for high quality standards in medical practice and hospital services. In addition, Dianne served on multiple boards and volunteered with the local TV station to offer weekly health tips for viewers. 

The family is deeply grateful for the support of family and friends that they and Dianne received throughout this journey, and for the exceptional care provided by TRU Community Care and Ms. Bessy Acosta during Dianne’s final days.

A memorial service for Dianne will be held on Saturday, April 27 at 11:00 a.m. at Montview Presbyterian Church, 1980 Dahlia Street, Denver, Colorado, with a reception at the church to follow.

Dianne and her family request that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to a charity of your choosing in Dianne McCallister’s name.