BREVARD — Deacon Charles C. Dietsch was called home to heaven on Aug. 31, 2017, from his home in Brevard, in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina.
A wake will be held at Sacred Heart Church, 910 Main St. South, Southbury, Conn., from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, also at Sacred Heart Church in Southbury. Interment will be at the convenience of the family.
A memorial Mass will be offered at a later date at Sacred Heart Church in Brevard.
Deacon Dietsch was born Jan. 18, 1944, in Clearwater, Fla., the son of Charles K. and Virginia L. (Jones) Dietsch. He attended schools in Florida and Wisconsin, and received his B.A. from the University of South Florida and his M.S. from the University of Southern California.
He was a veteran of the Vietnam War, serving as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps attached to the Military Intelligence Brigade of the Strategic Communications Command-Pacific at Schofield Barracks in Oahu, Hawaii.
Following his military service, he had a successful career in pharmaceutical and medical device sales and training before starting his own company specializing in sales and marketing training and executive coaching.
A convert to Catholicism, he was active in the practice of his faith. Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy ordained him a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of Miami, Fla., on May 4, 1985.
He also served in the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn., and served most recently at Sacred Heart Church in Brevard, where he and his wife Dorne Jo (Seyffert) had moved in
2016. The greatest part of his diaconate ministry was spent in the Archdiocese of Hartford, Conn., where he served for more than 20 years at Sacred Heart Church in Southbury.
In his 32-plus years of diaconate service, Deacon Dietsch took to heart his call to service and will be remembered for his outreach, love and compassion to the neglected and marginalized of God's children.
As a pastoral associate at Sacred Heart Church in Southbury, he coordinated the social outreach of that large and vibrant parish. He helped to expand the caring work undertaken by the parish, especially with the poor and the homeless.
He also was instrumental in the twinning of the parish with a parish in Haiti, Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs, in the village of Grand Boulage. While he was working in Haiti with Haitian Ministries for the Diocese of Norwich, Conn., he was buried beneath a collapsed mission house for 11 hours when the earthquake struck Haiti in 2010. Because of his injuries, he was one of the first to be airlifted out of the country, but he returned to Haiti two months later to assist with reestablishing the mission house in temporary quarters. He has many friends in Haiti to this day and always had a warm spot in his heart for the beautiful people of Haiti.
He and his wife Dorne Jo celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last January.
Besides his wife, he is survived by their sons, Charles Cary and his wife Julie of Grayslake, Ill., and Gordon Todd and his wife Jean of Park Ridge, Ill.; and his sisters, Marilyn Crane and her husband Royce of Suwannee, Ga., and Deborah Libengood and her husband Roy of Blairsville, Ga. He is also survived by six dearly loved grandchildren: Kevin, Alex, Jeffrey, Erik, Alyssa and Keaton; two god-children, Greyson and Brenna Iden, each of whom he was privileged to baptize; a step-grandson, Ryan Smith (Sabrina Elddine) of Austin, Texas; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his aunt and uncle, Gwen and Milton Simons; his niece and god-daughter Angela Almany; and his step-grandson Kyle Wallace.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to Seeds of Hope for Haiti, Inc., a 501(c)(3) that supports ongoing outreach to the village of Grand Boulage, or to the St. Vincent de Paul shelter and soup kitchen in Waterbury, Conn. Donations to either charity may be mailed c/o Sacred Heart Church, 910 Main St. South, Southbury, CT, 06488.
Carpino Funeral Home of Southbury was in charge of the arrangements.
— Catholic News Herald
LAKELAND, Fla. — Deacon Kenneth Lee Drummer died unexpectedly on Aug. 2, 2017, in Lakeland, Fla., at the age of 63.
A funeral Mass was celebrated Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 210 W. Lemon St. in Lakeland.
He was born on Sept. 1, 1953, in Knoxville, Tenn. He graduated from the University of Kentucky, where he met and married his wife of 40 years, Suzanne. He continued to further his education and attended The Banking School of the South and the Pontifical College Josephinum and was ordained a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church.
He was ordained for the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, on Feb. 3, 2001, by Bishop James Griffin. From Ohio his work took him to Florida, where he served the Diocese of Orlando in many areas such as faith formation, RCIA, pre-Cana, and the Boy Scouts.
In 2011 his work brought him and his wife Suzanne to North Carolina, where he served five years as a deacon for the Diocese of Charlotte. From 2011 to 2016, he attended and served St. James the Greater Church in Concord. Even though it was for only a short time, his service to St. James Parish will always have a lasting effect. He was recognized by his pastor as a terrific person, spiritual guide and preacher. His participation in the marriage preparation and RCIA programs and his thought-provoking homilies will be missed but not forgotten.
Deacon Drummer is survived by his parents, Richard and Jeanette Drummer of Lexington, Ky.; his wife Suzanne Shaw Drummer of Lakeland; daughter Sarah Drummer Ramey of Orange Park, Fla.; siblings Richard Drummer and Kimberly Kindred of Lexington; and grandchildren, Zachary Marquis and Tucker Ramey.
His daughter and grandchildren will always remember him for the love and devotion he had for them. The kindness and compassion he showed to people of all walks of life is something that all who knew him will cherish.
Donations may be made to St. Joseph’s Academy at 310 Frank Lloyd Wright Way, Lakeland, FL 33803.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.heathfuneralchapel.com.
Heath Funeral Chapel of Lakeland was in charge of the arrangements.
— Catholic News Herald