John "Jack" Diel

John "Jack" Diel
John "Jack" Diel, 94, of Enfield passed away at Baystate Medical Center on May 15, 2024. Born on March 21, 1930 in Teaneck, New Jersey, he was the son of the late John and Florence (Earle) Diel. Jack grew up in Bogota and graduated from Bogota High School in 1949. He had resided in Enfield since 1959.
Jack served honorably in the U.S. Navy as a catapult technician aboard the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt and the USS Yorktown. He later worked for Pratt & Whitney for 34 years as an Engineering Design Draftsman, retiring in 1989. Jack excelled in baseball, football and basketball and was inducted into the Bogota High School Athletic Hall of Fame on April 21, 1999.
Jack is survived by his beloved wife of 68 years, Elizabeth (Wales) Diel; his loving daughter, Cathy Cherpak, and her husband, Nicholas, of Enfield; his sister, Marilyn Zarcone of New Jersey; his sister-in-law, Carol Wales of Massachusetts and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brothers-in-law, Frederick L. Wales and John R. Wales and his wife, Alice.
We are deeply grateful to Dr. Darren O'Neill for the exceptional care and kindness he provided to Jack and our family over the years. We extend our appreciation to the dedicated staff at The Suffield House for their care of Jack during his recent stay. We would also like to thank Brenna and Julia of the hospice team along with Dr. Whitehouse and the staff on Springfield 1 and 2 at Baystate Medical Center for their compassion in caring for Jack.
Jack was a parishioner of Holy Family Church. Per his wishes, funeral services and burial are private. There are no calling hours.
Memorial contributions in Jack's name may be made to Enfield EMS, 1296 Enfield Street, Enfield, CT 06082 or Enfield Loaves and Fishes, PO Box 544, Enfield, CT 06083. For online expressions of sympathy, please visit www.leetestevens.com.