A celebration of life for William Charles Dietrich, 91, of Decatur, will be on Sunday, July 5, 2015, at Roselawn Funeral Home from 2:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. The funeral service will follow at 3:30 p.m. Burial will follow in Roselawn Cemetery. Reverend Harald Fanning is officiating.
Mr. Dietrich died July 2, 2015, at his residence. He was born June 13, 1924, in Grand Rapids, Michigan to E. Charles and Irene Hoey Dietrich. He was preceded in death by his parents.
He was a retired chemist from Union Carbide in Oak Ridge, TN after 32 years of service, and was a member of Southside Baptist Church. He served his country in World War II in the Army Air Force. Mr. Dietrich graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. degree in Chemistry. He also attended the University of Innsbruck in Austria where he studied graphology, and was an expert in his field. He was a member of the Oak Ridge Toastmasters and a member of the Senators Club of Knoxville, TN. He was an Alabama Master Gardener. Mr. Dietrich was a substitute teacher at the Decatur City Schools. He loved cooking and had acquired cookbooks from many countries. Cake decorating was one of his specialties. He loved boating, photography, and bowling, and was an avid reader. He also loved dancing, and taught ballroom dancing. He spoke German, Spanish, and other languages. One of his greatest passions was volunteering for the (SMR) Severely Mentally Retarded in Oak Ridge, TN.
Survivors include his wife, Hazel Beavers Dietrich; son, James Dietrich; daughter, Mary Geralyn Olmstead; stepdaughter, Belinda Kim Baxter; brother, Robert Dietrich; grandchildren, Jeffery Dietrich, Michel and Joseph Olmstead; step grandchild, Constance Hope Gardiner.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to St. Judes Children Hospital.
