Ronald Ray Dietz

He was born on June 27, 1942 in Lansing, Michigan to Pearl and Sherrard Dietz. Ron graduated from Greenville High School in 1960 and attended a number of college courses across his wide array of interests at Lansing Community College and Michigan State University. He spent most of his career working as a tool and die engineer in the automotive industry. He held positions at Oldsmobile, GM, and most recently at Cameron Tool Corporation in Lansing, where he retired in 2012.

Ron married his first wife, Joyce, in 1960, and they had three children: David, Michael, and Pollyanna. After the two divorced, Ron married his second wife, Sonia, in 1986, with whom he had two children: Troy and Lara.

Ron was a Renaissance man with many hobbies and interests, including magic, studio art, photography, cars, travel, languages, and perhaps most notably, antique maps, letters, and books. In 2013, he donated an extensive array of maps and books to the Michigan State University Library, where the Ronald Dietz Collection can be viewed today. He loved to share his interests with others, eager to tell obscure bits of history or show recent drawings or paintings he had done.

Ron is survived by his children, David Dietz, Michael (Kim) Dietz, Polly Cove, Troy Dietz, and Lara (Justin) Hewson; 12 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; as well as former spouse, Sonia Black; and siblings, Gerald Dietz, Gary Dietz, Rex Dietz, and Lance Wallace. He is preceded in death by his former spouse, Joyce Dietz and siblings, Robert Dietz, Beatrice Kraai, and Barbara Bobb.

A memorial service for Ron will be held on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 1:00 PM at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes East Chapel, 1730 E Grand River Ave., East Lansing, MI 48823.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Ronald's memory may be made to R.E. Olds Transportation Museum, 240 Museum Dr., Lansing, MI 48933.