Leon Richard Dietz

Richard Dietz, 1928 – 2019

Leon Richard “Dietzie” Dietz, 90 of Ringgold, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on the early afternoon of February 20, 2019 surrounded by his family.

  He was born on April 19, 1928 in Boynton, Georgia and resided in Chattanooga, Tennessee and in Ringgold, Georgia.  He enlisted in the U.S. Army on March 22, 1946 in Ft. Oglethorpe, GA and after receiving an honorable discharge, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps where he served in Korea.

He was active in Freemasonry throughout his life and was a 50 year member of his Masonic Lodge and York Rite Bodies.  His Masonic travels took him throughout the Southeastern United States and he was widely recognized and respected as an exemplary ritualist in all three degrees of the Symbolic Lodge, both in Tennessee and in Georgia. Leon worked in all levels of York Rite Freemasonry and he visited nearly every Masonic Lodge in Tennessee, taking pictures of their buildings which are displayed at the Grand Lodge of Tennessee in Nashville.  It often seemed like every active Mason in the Southeast knew Richard Dietz.

   Leon was raised in Hill City Lodge No. 603 in 1961.  He was a Past Master of East Lake Lodge No. 698 and a plural member of Chattanooga Lodge No. 199. He was a Fifty Year Mason, a Past High Priest of Hill City Chapter No. 220; a Past Illustrious Master of Delta Council No. 127; a Past Commander of Lookout Commandery No. 14; and served as District Instructor for the Grand Commandery of Tennessee for many years, and served as the Prior of Tennessee, Priory No. 14.  He was a recipient of the York Rite College Gold Award and Order of the Purple Cross, the Royal Arch Mason International Distinguished Service Medal, the Knight York Cross of Honor, the Knight Templar Cross, and the Knights York Cross of Honor. 

He was a charter member of Cherokee York Rite College No. 152; Tennessee Council No. 341, Allied Masonic Degrees; Gaelic Council No. 60, Knight Masons; Chattanooga Asylum No. 2, Order of Knight Commanders; and Tennessee Forest No. 195, Tall Cedars of Lebanon.

Leon was also a member of the Chattanooga Scottish Rite Bodies, Alhambra Shrine, Georgia College Masonic Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis, Red Cross of Constantine, Holy Royal Arch Knights Templar Priests, and the International Order of Odd Fellows.

He was a Past Patron of East Lake Chapter #238, Order of the Eastern Star and a Past Royal Patron of Christina Court No. 4, Order of the Amaranth.

Leon was a true lifelong learner.  He was a voracious reader who asked questions about everything he read.  He belonged to a number of Masonic research organizations where he discussed and shared the books, articles, and papers he came across with his friends and colleagues. He will be greatly missed.

Leon was preceded in death by his parents, Sidney Leonidas Dietz and Margaret “Maggie” Lenora Winters; his sister Virginia Irene Hopper, and half-sister Lucille Lenora Underdown.

He is survived by Lorene Dietz, daughter Terri Johnson, grandson Shane Vaughn, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be Sunday, February 24th from 3:00 - 5:00p.m. at the South Crest Chapel.  Private services will be held at a later date.

Condolences may be sent to lane-southcrestchapel.com

Arrangements are by the South Crest Chapel of Lane Funeral Home & Crematory, located at the end of historic Missionary Ridge, Rossville.