Russell Eugene Dietz

Russell Eugene Dietz, 88, of Columbus, NC passed away at the Smith-Phayer Hospice House in Landrum on January 3, 2025. Russell was born in Cumberland, Md. on April 14, 1936, to Mae Stallings Dietz and Rev. Earl Eugene Dietz. He attended Green Creek High School which is now Polk Central High School. Russell has been married to Hazel Wilson Dietz for 70 years, and together they had two children, Jan (David) Cox of Wellford, SC and Keith (Debbie) Dietz of Gaston SC. During his life he worked at Wesley Memorial Hospital in Chicago as a Postmaster, Mayfair Mills as a Shop Technician, and then retired from Norfolk-Southern Railway as a Carman in Roanoke, Virginia. Russell loved hunting, boating, fishing, square dancing and riding motorcycles. He was known as the "fix-it" man as he knew plumbing, construction work, electrical work, fixing cars and just about any other thing that anyone asked him to do. In his later years his favorite pastimes were cutting grass and sitting in his favorite rocking chair on the porch enjoying God's beauty. Russell is survived by his beautiful wife, his son Keith, daughter, Jan, and grandchildren, Sheila Dietz, Tiffany Jackson, Wendy Faulkner (Barry), Lindsey Simmons, Maggie McGreevey (John), and Morgan Copenhaver (Seth). He is also survived by twenty-two wonderful great and great-great grandchildren. Russell is pre-deceased by his parents and three brothers Rev. Paul Dietz of West Virginia, Johnny Dietz of West Virginia, and William Dietz of Drayton, SC. Russell will be greatly missed by family and friends. The family would like to offer a special thanks to his granddaughter Sheila Dietz who was his caretaker for months prior to his death.

Visitation services will be held at Inman First Baptist Church Atrium where he and Hazel are members. The visitation will be on January 7, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. followed by a celebration of life service at 2:00 p.m. A private graveside service for the family will follow at Poplar Springs Baptist Church in Moore, SC.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to Inman First Baptist Church at 14 North Howard Street Inman, SC 29349 or Smith-Phayer Hospice House in Landrum at 260 Fairwinds Rd. Landrum S.C. 29356.