William H. Dietrich - Obituary

aptain William “Bill” Dietrich, USN (Ret.), passed away peacefully on December 2, 2024, in Pasadena, Maryland, surrounded by his loving family. Born on May 31, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bill was raised in the Catholic faith and attended St. Helena’s and Northeast Catholic High School. He went on to study physics at the College of the Holy Cross on an NROTC scholarship, graduating in 1958. Bill proudly served in the United States Navy for 30 years, beginning his career aboard submarines including the USS Spikefish, USS Barracuda, USS Sea Poacher, USS Pollack, submarine tender USS Dixon as well as holding command of the USS Blackfin and USS Trout. He earned a master’s degree in International Affairs from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF) and served as an analyst in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon. He was awarded the Naval Distinguished Service Medal (view here). Following his naval career, Bill continued his work as a contractor until retiring in 2020. He was an avid bowler and enjoyed weekly league games. Bill and his beloved wife Sandy shared a love of travel, especially to Lake Tahoe, where they enjoyed fine dining, casino visits, and time with their children and grandchildren. Bill is preceded in death by his parents, LeRoy “Roy” Dietrich and Mildred Lahr and his brothers, Gerard “Jerry” Dietrich and LeRoy “Butz” Dietrich. He is survived by Sandy, his devoted wife of 52 years; his children, Michelle Salomon (Junior), Dena Terra (Jeff), Roy Dietrich (Lorrie), and Ann Beil (Rob); and grandchildren Sean and Joshua Salomon, Tommy Dietrich, Sophie Terra, and Sydney and Alexis Beil. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Tunnel to Towers (online here or via mail: 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10306), College of the Holy Cross (online here), or Hospice of the Chesapeake (online here or via mail: John and Cathy Belcher Campus, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, MD 21122). Bill’s life was defined by his unwavering devotion to God, country, and family. May his memory bring comfort to all who knew him. A visitation will be held on Thursday, December 26 at the Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory, 2973 Solomons Island Rd, Edgewater, MD from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 pm. Another visitation will be held on Friday, December 27 at Our Lady of the Fields Catholic Church, 1070 Cecil Avenue South, Millersville, MD 21108 from 10:30 am until Mass of Christian Burial begins at 11AM. Burial at Arlington National Cemetery will be at a later date. Online condolences may be offered using the Memories tab on this page.