St. Louis Earth Day honors the life of Nikki Diller.

As the Thanksgiving holiday passes, we are reminded to be thankful to all those who have contributed to the St. Louis Earth Day legacy over the years. This week, we will be saying goodbye to Nikki Diller, who died of cancer on November 18. Services will be held this week to honor her memory.

Nikki, an Earth Day volunteer from 1989 into the mid 90’s, was part of a small group of dedicated founding members of Earth Day 1990, which was a turning point for the Earth Day celebration in St. Louis as well as for environmental activism, advocacy and education in the region. In her position as secretary, Nikki helped negotiate the Forest Park location, designed brochures and t-shirts (which were even sold at a local Wal-Mart!), and arranged music and entertainment for the Earth Day celebration and a fundraising concert at Off Broadway. Nikki was on at least one radio show, including one with St. Louis environmental celebrity Jean Ponzi, to promote Earth Day.

Nikki’s skill set included organization, event planning, and graphic design. She worked with Murray Printing to design all the brochures including the Earth Day pledge that was inspired by the Exxon Valdez oil spill on March 24, 1989. The group of St. Louis Earth Day founders generated so much energy around the Earth Day celebration of 1990 that the original promoter of Earth Day, Randy Hayes, and representatives from fifty or so local environmental groups took part in the event.

The late 1980’s through the early 1990’s, the years when St. Louis Earth Day began to gain traction, were times when promise of great change was underway: the Berlin wall fell, a Romanian dictator was brought down, riots demanded democracy in China, South Africa was reforming under Nelson Mandela, dialogue about Global Warming and sustainability were starting to take place around the planet. This is the point when the environmental movement began to go mainstream.

While challenges remain, this time period marks the beginning of expectations for a sustainable future taking root across generational, cultural and political divides. This is the foundation of the spirit of Earth Day that continues today: to make dialogue and opportunities for action accessible to every citizen, in support of a sustainable future.

In looking back at this snapshot in St. Louis Earth Day history, we are grateful for Nikki’s contributions to the organization St. Louis Earth Day has become. We are humbled by the actions and dedication from this group of founding members and strive to honor their legacy by continuing the journey they began several decades ago. We would also like to thank Matt Diller, fellow founding member, for his contributions to this article as he helps us record the Earth Day heritage while remembering and honoring Nikki.

Nikki’s obituary, as published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, appears below.

Nikki Elizabeth Diller
(nee Blomefield) age 48

Beloved wife of James M. Berger and cherished mother of Matthew Grey Diller – passed peacefully on Sun., Nov. 18, 2012 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She leaves her broken hearted mother, Jan Blomefield; sister, Jennifer Henneberry; her grieving grandmother, Jan Grey of Jacksonville, FL; aunts, Jill and Jeanine Grey; dear friend Adam Diller and mother-in-law Fran Berger.

The family wishes to acknowledge the wonderful care rendered to Nikki at the David C. Pratt Cancer Center and Mercy Hospital. Recently she was tenderly cared for at Rosewood Care Center by Mercy Hospice.

Services: Visitation at the ORTMANN-STIPANOVICH Funeral Home, 12444 Olive Blvd., Creve Coeur, Wed., Nov. 28, from 4-7 p.m. Inurnment at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Thurs., Nov. 29 at 1:45 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions to charity of choice, Rosewood Care Center or Mercy Hospice appreciated.

Ortmann Stipanovich Funeral Home
12444 Olive Blvd.
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
(314)514-1111