Charles Dietz
Charles (Charlie) Dietz of Westfield, NJ. and Adirondack, NY, passed away on Thursday, October 30, at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ. He was 82 years old.
Born in Rockville Centre, NY, Charlie grew up in West Hempstead and attended high school at Brooklyn Prep. He was the captain of the Brooklyn Prep football team that won the 1960 NYC private school championship. Charlie was proud of his Jesuit education at Prep and also at Boston College. The friends he made at B.C. remained his closest friends throughout his life.
Married to his high school sweetheart, Regina Killeen, Charlie worked very hard to support his young family while living in Queens Village, NY.As a management trainee for MetLife, Charlie attended Columbia University at night and attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He later attended Saint John’s University earning a Master of Business Administration. Charlie built a successful 42-year career at MetLife working in various management positions. For several years, he also taught graduate courses in business management at Pace University. When he retired in 2005, he was a Director of Data Technology.
Charlie was predeceased by his parents, Charles and Marion Dietz and his sisters, Donna and Celeste. He is survived by his wife, Regina, his daughter Karen Gunning (husband, Terry), his son Stephen Dietz (former wife, Amy), his daughter Susan Mulholland (husband, Bill), his sister Lynne, and many nieces and nephews. Charlie was a loving Papa and adored his four grand-children, Megan, Matthew, Benjamin and Annabelle, who also survived him.
Charlie and his family moved to Westfield, NJ, in 1976 where he and Regina made lifelong friends. He was active in the Jaycees and helped coach his son’s youth baseball teams. He enjoyed the cultural life of New York City, often attending the ballet and opera at Lincoln Center and Broadway shows. He and Regina also thoroughly enjoyed spending nights out with friends at their favorite restaurants.
The Dietz family spent several summer vacations in the Adirondacks. Charlie and Regina then bought their dream vacation home on Schroon Lake and lived there mostly full time after they both retired. Charlie enjoyed everything about lake and mountain life. This included boating, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, playing golf and spending time with his children and grandchildren when they came to visit. He became an active member of the Adirondack Lodges Homeowners Association (ALHA). He served on the ALHA Board of Directors for a total of 12 years, including 10 years as Treasurer. In addition to his service on the board, Charlie was an active and engaged member of the association, lending his time and expertise to numerous committees and improvement projects. Charlie loved “the lake” and all the friends they made there.
Charlie was deeply passionate about sports – both as a player and a fan. He skied and played golf well into his 70s. One highlight of those years was getting a hole in one at Cronin’s Golf Course in Chestertown, NY. He was a devoted fan of the NY Mets, Jets, Rangers and Boston College football. For many years, he and Regina had season tickets to B.C. home games. He supported his children and grandchildren with whatever sport they were playing.
Charlie and Regina were grateful for the many vacations they took together, including several trips to Europe, time spent in Cape May, and visiting family and friends in California. He was a voracious reader and lifelong learner. Throughout his life, he had many varied interests and talents. He owned and worked on classic sports cars. He took flying lessons at Somerset Airport to obtain his pilot’s license. He listened to classic rock as well as classical music. He was incredibly smart, fun-loving, witty, kind and a man of faith. He loved his family and his friends. He will be dearly missed.
The visitation was held on Thursday, November 6, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Dooley Colonial Home in Westfield. A funeral mass was celebrated on Friday, November 7, at 11 a.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Westfield. Interment took place at Fairview Cemetery, Westfield Donations can be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation at www.parkinson.org
