Marian Parker Diggs; Aided Minorities’, Women’s Businesses

Marian Parker Diggs, 63, who aided business efforts of women and minorities. Born in Pittsburgh, she majored in business administration at Duff’s Iron City Business College, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Pittsburgh. After jobs in her native city, she spent 15 years working with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency and its predecessor, the Office of Minority Business Enterprise. She supervised agency regional offices in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh before moving to Washington, D.C., as senior advocate for minority enterprise. She had recently established the Marian Parker Diggs Entrepreneurial Fund of the Pittsburgh Foundation to promote economic growth among minorities, women, youth and the aging. On Saturday in Alexandria, Va., of a heart attack.