Charles Dietz - Class of 1942

Dietz, Charles Howard 86 10/27/1923 11/27/2009 Chuck Dietz was born in Portland to Howard and Jesse Dietz, the second of their five children. He attended Washington High School, graduating in 1942, before joining the U.S. Army in 1943. He served throughout the Pacific theater until the war was over. Upon his return, he married his high school sweetheart, Betty McElveny, and attended Oregon State College, graduating in 1950 with a degree in accounting. As a CPA, he audited many lumber companies. His talent with numbers caught the attention of Boise Cascade, who recruited him as a manager when they acquired the Valsetz Lumber Company. He moved his wife and four children to Boise in 1959, where he was instrumental in building the local YMCA. In 1965, he took an assignment in the Philippines which led to his promotion as Southeast Asia manager for Boise Cascade. He returned to America in 1969 and went to work in San Diego as chief financial officer for a start-up company called U.S. Financial. In 1970, he succeeded in listing the company on the New York Stock Exchange. Later, he was involved in several entrepreneurial ventures in Southern California including a minicomputer marketing company with his brother Jerry. His last job, at The Bonneville Power Administration, brought him and his wife back to Portland in 1981. He retired in Milwaukie and later moved to Summerfield in Tigard. An avid golfer all his life, Chuck recorded two holes-in-one in his 84th year. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Betty McElveny Dietz; four children; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. His surviving siblings are: Donald, Priscilla and Howard Stanley Jr. "Bud." A memorial will be held in early 2010. Contact a family member if you're interested in attending.