Henry W. Dieringer Jr.

Henry W. Dieringer, Jr. of Venice, Florida passed away on September 4, 2025 at the age of 84. He was born in Evergreen Park, IL and raised in Barrington, IL. He was an All-American swimmer in junior college before serving in the Army from 1961-1964, attaining the rank of Sgt. He then went on to earn his Bachelors from Southern Illinois University and Masters from Drake University. Henry raised his family in Arlington Heights, IL where he lived for 25 years and worked as a Clerk of the Circuit Court in Chicago for 20+ years. After retirement he worked for a couple of years as a special education teacher assistant. After his second retirement, he moved to Venice where he resided for the past 20 years. He was a 32nd degree Master Mason, member of the American Legion, served on the Yard Crew for 15+ years at Christ Venice Church and did numerous projects there including building 2 crosses in the church gardens.
He was proud to tell people that he was still mowing his own grass at his age. He was a simple and hard-working man who enjoyed being able to fix things around the house. He was also a very thoughtful man and if he saw a newspaper article he knew would interest someone in his life, would cut it out and give it to them. He did this for his children, grandchildren, friends, and neighbors. He never asked for anything - on special occasions (birthdays, Christmas, etc.) when asked what he wanted/needed, his response was always that he just wanted us to spend time together. He knew it's not what we have in life but who we have in life that mattered most. He loved desserts, and while celebrating such occasions, was commonly heard to say "I like cake" and he was never shy about having 2 helpings. We would often joke that he was going to Yard Crew just for the donuts that the fellowship enjoyed after the work was done. He was kind and forgiving and never had a bad word to say about anyone ever. He looked forward to the biannual family reunions where he could reunite with his cousins and extended family. He was not a fan of technology and preferred paper over digital, listening to the radio, Big Band music and going to the North Port Symphony. He enjoyed visiting with his neighbors and his neighborhood Men's Coffee Club. He was always following his grandchildren's activities and proud of their accomplishments, big or small. Henry loved that Bill and Jennifer's families both moved to the Venice area and were able to spend lots of time together in recent years. He loved his family more than anything and was generous to them all. He valiantly fought Merkel Cell Carcinoma for 4 years and his message to everyone is to wear sunscreen and a wide brim hat.
Henry is survived by his devoted wife of 56 years, Charlotte M. Dieringer of Venice; a son, Bill (Diana) Dieringer of Venice; a daughter, Jennifer (Michael) Durish of Venice and a son, Jim (Kathy) Dieringer of Arlington Heights, IL. He also leaves behind his six loving grandchildren, Jonathan & Danielle Dieringer, Kylie & Alexis Durish and Hayden & Bode Dieringer. He was preceded in death by his parents Henry & Helen Dieringer, mother Selma Meier and his sister, Sharon Campbell.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:00AM on Monday, September 22, 2025 at Christ Venice Church followed by refreshments. A graveside service with military honors will be held at 1:30PM at Sarasota National Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the American Legion (www.mylegion.org) or to the Moffitt Cancer Center (www.moffitt.org/give). Farley Funeral Home in Venice is handling the arrangements. To send a condolence or memory please visit www.farleyfuneralhome.com