Austin, Texas
On October 24, 2022, Ray "Joe Boy" Irwin Diffen said goodbye to this world leaving behind the shadow of a gentle giant who will be remembered for his patience and grace. Ray was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1934 to parents Mary Bethlehem Johnson and Clyde Clayton Diffen. He was 88 years old. Ray...
Read MoreRay was the team manager of the recreational soccer team "Redbirds" His son Daniel played with my son Jesus (Chuy). Ray was a great person and always cared about all of the kids on the team.
Jose Gutierrez
February 17, 2026 | Friend
I knew Ray in the 1960s when I was a Marine Sergeant and his first name to me was "Captain". He was our Officer when a small group of us from Kaneohe were sent to help Australia gather intelligence about Indonesia (I was an Indonesian linguist). We were there for about three months, and Captain Diffin always made us proud in representing the US. He was one of the finest Marines I ever met.
Bob Tindel
Rose Creek, Edmond, OK
Robert Tindel
July 25, 2025
I remember Ray picking Daniel and me up after school in the late 80s and early to mid 90s to go to their house and hang out, or take us some place fun, before we got our licenses. Ray and Daniel introduced me to Queen's greatest hits, and what I remember most was his soothingly calm, understated, peaceful bearing. I am in Hawai'i today, Kaua'i specifically, for the first time since my folks brought me as an infant circa 1982, and Ray leapt to my mind. I hadn't seen him since probably 1999,...
Alex Nelson
February 22, 2023
