Charles "Charlie" Robert Dietz, Sr.

Charles Robert “Charlie” Dietz, Sr. passed away peacefully in his sleep August 31, 2022.

Charlie was born in Danville, Illinois on March 16, 1929, just two days after Matilda Pitlik, the love of his life. He graduated from Danville High School in 1947 and began a 44-year career at Lauhoff Grain as a Millwright. On September 10, 1949, he and Matilda were joined in Holy Matrimony at St Joseph’s Catholic Church. The two of them, along with some help from his father Carl, built the home they would reside in all the days of their nearly 73-year marriage. They raised 4 children, Charles Dietz, Jr. (Marilyn) of Portage, Michigan, Susan Gurujal (Harsha), Daniel Dietz (Lorrie) and Cindy Parr-Barrett (Kerry) all residents of Danville, in this hand-built home that started as a simple garage on South Kimball Street.

A life-long Catholic, Charlie sent his children to parochial school, but he defined his values by example. Charles was modest in life but generous in spirit and charity. He attended Mass at Holy Family and the VA Hospital regularly and tithed appropriately. At the VA, Mass would begin only after Charlie had shaken the hand of every veteran and thanked them for their service. He was blind to the color of a person because he was focused on the character of their spirit. He defined for his children what it means to have work ethic, tenacity, determination and integrity.  His children display his values daily and they, in turn, have passed his characteristics on to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Never one to relax, Charlie could always be counted on to teach you how to roof your house, fix your lawnmower, build a playset, fix your plumbing, rewire your house, put in a pool and deck, change a spark plug, babysit a grandchild or build a wind chime.  Every tool you would ever need for any project could be found in the bottom of one of his pants pockets. After Charlie fixed it, there were always parts left over but it always ran better than before.

Charlie didn’t care about his legacy or leaving a mark on this earth.  Rather he left a crater, a huge hole which will never be filled.  It started with love for a woman, Matilda, whom he leaves behind along with his four children and Lady, his beloved dog. Charles was blessed with grandchildren, Anne-Marie & Kristina Dietz, Josh Osterbur (Amanda Crose), Megan Cline (Gary), Colin Osterbur ( Katie), Caleb Gurujal (Katie Tinglef), Matt Dietz, Kyle Dietz (Liz), Ashley Shelton (Sam), Lauren Parr (Michael Roulaine), Hillary Kobel (David), Lindsay Stewart (Nick Bott), Sarah Barrett (James Cook) and great-grandchildren, Emma & Sophie Osterbur, Charlotte Cline, Grace & Bruce Dietz, Naomi, Sam & Liam Shelton, Kendyll & Karter Stewart & Thorin Bott. Charles was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Florence Dietz, Siblings, Sister M. Catherine OSF (nee Margaret Ann Dietz) and John Dietz.

Visitation will be Wednesday, September 07th from 10:30AM to 11:30AM at Holy Family Church, 444 E. Main in Danville. Rosary at 10:00 AM, prior to the visitation. Funeral Mass at 11:30AM followed by burial at Resurrection Cemetery, 818 Wendt Avenue, Danville.

In memoriam, please make donations to The Lazarus Ministries, P.O. Box 224, Westville Illinois 61833.  The Lazarus Ministries is the project of his “adopted” son, Fr. Deusdedit Byomuhangi who is building a hospital in the rural region of Nyamasiizi Uganda.

Online condolences at www.rortvedtfuneralservices.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Charles "Charlie" Robert Dietz, Sr., please visit our floral store.