Saul Diskin

Diskin, Saul
Saul Diskin, a resident of Arizona for 58 years, died Aug. 29, 2014, at age 80. Saul was a devoted and beloved family man, gifted with a splendid intelligence and a zest for life and learning. He had a long career in real estate, and was active in local humanitarian affairs, serving on the board and as president of the Florence Project for many years. Later in life he returned to his first love, writing. Among his works, Saul memorialized his relationship with his late identical twin brother, Martin, in his memoir "The End of the Twins", published in 2001. He also had a passion for fly fishing, literature, gardening, and was a generous friend and partner throughout his life. Saul was born in New York City on Aug. 22, 1934, and raised in Brooklyn. At 17 he left the University of Vermont, where he was an indifferent student, and shipped out as a merchant seaman. He later made his way across the country to Los Angeles where he worked for a while and then spent many months living in Mexico where he developed his lifelong interest in Latin American culture and history. These experiences became a rich source of his masterful storytelling. In 1954 he met and fell in love with Arline Friner, also a native of New York City. The two married on January 22, 1956 in New York and moved to California. Two years later he became entranced with the rugged beauty of the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, bought property in the Harquahala Valley and successfully drilled for water. After living in Buckeye with Arline and their growing family, they settled in Phoenix in 1960 where they remained. In addition to Arline, Saul is survived by his brother Philip Diskin of Los Angeles; son Jonathan (Diane Stemper) of Oxford, Ohio; daughter Bess (Bradley Bostick) of Orinda, Calif.; daughter Sharon (Keith Berger) of Los Angeles; and six grandchildren: Asa Diskin, Gideon Berger, Noah Bostick, Allegra Berger, Isaac Diskin and Gabriel Bostick. His family deeply mourns his passing, and he will be missed by his many friends. Burial services were private. The family plans a memorial gathering in the near future. Contributions in Saul's memory may be sent to the Florence Immigrants and Refugee Rights Project, P.O. Box 654, Florence, AZ 85132, http://www.firrp.org.