Richard Dietz

Richard (Dick) Dietz died peacefully in his Crosslake home on January 13, 2022. He died in confidence of a reunion with his beloved wife, Mary Lu, in heaven, a conviction that brought hope and joy to his life in the two years since her passing.

Dick was born to Mildred and Clifford Dietz in Mankato on April 27, 1936. He lived in Mankato until moving to St. Paul to attend Hamline University. While there, he married Mary Lu Stewart, his high school sweetheart. Dick went on to graduate school at the University of Minnesota during which time their first son, Steve, was born. After graduate school the family moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where Dick worked for Convair, and then to Orlando, Florida, with Lockheed Martin. Mike, their second child, was born while they were in Texas. In 1962, Dick and the family moved to the Twin Cities area for his new job at General Mills. Shortly afterward, Jill was born. His work at General Mills, though mostly in the Twin Cities, also took him and the family to England, Florida, and Honduras.

Dick retired from General Mills as Vice President of Information Systems in 1990. After retirement, Dick and Mary Lu moved permanently to the beloved Big Trout Lake home in Crosslake, Minnesota that Mary Lu’s father built many years before, a place where they spent many summer weekends and vacations together prior to retiring there. They immersed themselves in community life, including stints on the planning commission for Dick and years of volunteer work as an income tax preparer. Dick also became a serious and talented potter, donating his wares to fundraising auctions and participating in history day demonstrations. They made many dear and valued friends in Crosslake. For Dick, the happiest times of his life followed retirement, when he and Mary Lu traveled extensively. They were often in the company of friends, some of whom had been close since elementary school. They visited all 50 United States and 81 countries/continents, from the Arctic to Antarctica, from Australia to India to Africa. These were Dick’s golden years, when he had good health, his children were independent and flourishing, and he and Mary Lu were free to do as they pleased at the drop of a hat.

Dick is survived by his children Steve, Mike, and Jill and their spouses, Janet, Dyan, and Ande. He has nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. The Dietz family is grateful for the kindness, love, and companionship provided to their parents by all their friends and the extended family over their full and happy lifetime. Thank you also for the care and concern offered to our family through this difficult time.

A memorial gathering will be held via Zoom at 3:00 PM on February 5th. Please request a link to the gathering at crosslakedietz@gmail.com. Memorial donations may be made to the Park and Library Foundation of Crosslake (PAL) for the Mary Lu Dietz Memorial Fund or to a charity of the donor’s choosing.