William Diede

William (Bill) Diede, 88, passed away peacefully on March 17, 2013 at Highline Convalescent Center. He was born on May 17, 1924 to John Sr. and Elizabeth (Kryder) Diede in Startup, Washington. He was one of ten children. When Bill was 3 years old the family moved to Sunny slope and he was raised on the families' orchards. He attended Sunnyslope Elementary and graduated from Wenatchee High School in 1943. After graduation he enrolled at the Wenatchee Junior College where he took business courses and then entered the Merchant Marines during WWII. Bill always told a funny story of a little monkey (who he named George) that he 'rescued' from a market in the Philippines during the war. George ended up being quite a 'collector of sorts' on the ship; if any of the men were missing their watch or something shiny they knew what bunk to check - it was always Bill's. There was also a dog on the ship that George apparently enjoyed riding around on using the dog's ears as reins. George ended up immigrating to the U.S. at the end of the war and became a Texan. Upon Bill's discharge he returned to the Wenatchee valley and helped operate the families' orchards. He saw his 'One True Love' for the first time while attending an Elks event where Shiela Walter was participating in her Nursing Commencement Ceremony. They did not meet at this time but later on, while being treated for a hand injury at Deaconess Hospital, she was his nurse. He decided then that he would ask her for a date and the rest is history. They were married on June 26, 1949 in Republic, WA and made their home in Wenatchee. Bill continued orcharding and started his own spray business. Later he went to work for the Burlington Northern Railroad as an office clerk and later retired from there. Bill enjoyed sharing two of his favorite fishing spots, Jameson and Alta Lakes, with his children, granddaughter and brothers. After he married Shiela, he enjoyed elk hunting in the Republic area with his brother-in-laws. One of his most memorable fishing trips was with his brother Henry when they traveled to Canada in Bill's RV. Family was the center of his life and he enjoyed family reunions, many trips to Republic to visit Shiela's family and visiting his grandsons in Traverse City, Michigan. He is preceded in death by his wife Shiela; siblings, Helen, Herb, John Jr., Henry, Albert, Alvin, Alma, and Alice. His surviving family includes his daughter, Ann, of Wenatchee and son, Ed (Mimi), of Traverse City, Michigan; brother, Chris, of Chandler, Arizona; grandchildren, Fisher and Henry, of Traverse City, MI and Olivia Diede Nelson, of Wenatchee. A Memorial Service will be held at a later date in May. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcome in Bill's memory to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Family and friends are invited to visit his online tribute to leave memories and condolences for his family at: www.HeritageMemorialChapel.com . Arrangements are in the care of Heritage Memorial Chapel, East Wenatchee.

William Diede

May 17, 1924 - March 17, 2013