Obituary of Richard Lewis Dietz
After several days of rain, which our Dad never enjoyed, Richard Lewis Dietz passed away on Jan. 8th, 2019. Richard was surrounded both physically and emotionally by his loved ones when he started his next adventure. Richard was born in Santa Clara on July 25, 1930, during a family trip, but his home and heart resided in Davenport, Ca. His time in the Navy as a printer 3rd class began his lifelong career as a printer, eventually working for and retiring from the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Richard moved to Bishop, Ca. for a short time, and was fortunate to have been set up on a blind date with our mother, Anna Ruth (Cruz) Dietz, who predeceased him. They married after six months and eventually moved to Santa Cruz to raise their family. Richard was a lover of the outdoors: festive gatherings, hunting, coaching, and playing softball but most of all, he loved his role as a dedicated father, grandfather and great grandfather. Family vacations were always filled with memorable and sometimes "teachable" moments. Richard took pride in his lifelong friendships with his Davenport friends who were able to share some enjoyable memories with him before he left us.
Richard is survived by: daughter Nikki (Kevin) Oneto, son Mark (Kelly) Dietz, daughter Mona (Marianne Skiscim) Dietz. Richard was blessed with five Grandchildren: Ashly (Robert) Daniels, Meagan (Brad) Hinkle, Shanna (Kyle) Stephens, Laura Oneto and Matthew Dietz. Richard was extremely happy to have met all of his Great Grandchildren: Kayla Daniels, Dominic Stephens, Grayson Hinkle and Hanna Daniels. Richard is also survived by four loving sister in-laws and one brother in-law: Mary Dietz, Josephine Cruz DeLucas, Gloria Cruz Bayer, June Cruz Rush, Ronnie Rawson and many wonderful nieces and nephews.
Richard will stay forever in our hearts, and we are forever grateful for the love, wisdom and support he gave to all of us. We would like to share some heartfelt words from the family. Marianne Skiscim Dietz writes; "thank you Richard for your unconditional love and support, and opening my eyes to the world of rocks and bottles, love you and say Hi to Ruth." Meagan (Oneto) Hinkle shares her memories of her grandpa: being at the cabin/lake and collecting feathers, building sandcastles with the help of fresh whittled sticks, trips to see the elephant seals, planting and picking veggies from the garden and taking walks and talking on the back road by the creek.
The Family would like to give a heartfelt thank you to the many caregivers who helped Richard during this challenging journey. A very special thank you to Daysi Calderon and Dawn Bassman, their comfort and friendship meant the world to Richard. We would also like to thank Hospice of Santa Cruz County for walking us through this very difficult time.
A private family service at Santa Cruz Memorial will be held on January 19th. A celebration of Richard's life will be held at a later date, TBA. In lieu of flowers donations to the SPCA, Boys and Girls Club of Scotts Valley or Hospice of Santa Cruz are suggested.
In Loving Memory
Richard Dietz
1930 - 2019
