John William DIEHL

1968 - 2017

DIEHL, John William John William Diehl was bigger than life. He loved big adventures, far-reaching ideas, and groundbreaking technology. In 49 fast years, John dedicated countless hours in service to Jesus Christ and His boundless grace and mercy the biggest idea of all. John was active in church activities and service organizations from a young age. In high school, he co-founded Sidewalk Sunday School, a church-based afterschool program for at-risk youth. During his college years at the University of Illinois, he led Bible studies as a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. His life was marked by personal, engaging experiences, from live music in his adventures through SXSW to local technology meetups. He and his wife, Meg, have left a deep imprint in the lives of many at Gateway Austin through their hospitality, leadership, and service both within the body of Christ and the Austin community at large. John was destined to be an entrepreneur and CEO, but he was always an engineer at heart. He flew all over the world to make business deals for PrairieComm, Black Sand, and AjnaVR, with dozens of careers on his shoulders, but almost nothing could keep him from hands-on creation, in the lab or in the garage or on a laptop. After beginning his career at Motorola, he received a M.S.E.E. from IIT and earned several patents throughout his life's work. He died in the Gulf of Mexico pursuing an exciting new business venture based on technology that promises to expand our visibility and experiences of the world around us. John is survived by his beloved wife of 26 years, Meg; his children, J.R., Scott, Henry, Sarah, and Grace; his parents, John and Jean; his sisters Amy Rienow (Rob) and Emily Anderson (Luke); ten nieces & nephews; and Mosby the beagle. In lieu of flowers, the family has set up a college fund for John's children at https://www.youcaring.com/jrscotthenrysarahandgracediehl-906415. Condolences may be sent to: www.harrellfuneralhomes.com.