Lara Lynne Diedenhofen Fletcher

1967 - 2025

Lara Lynne Diedenhofen Fletcher was born on September 16, 1967 in Minneapolis, MN. She was united in marriage on July 20, 1996 to Christopher John Fletcher. Lara was diagnosed with stage IVb colon cancer on April 6, 2023 and given a prognosis of 18-24 months with chemotherapy. She fought the disease with grace and strength, living another 27 months. She is a testament to what God's grace and modern medicine can accomplish. After fulfilling the dreams and goals she had set for herself following her diagnosis, she ultimately left this world victoriously on July 4, 2025 with her husband and children by her side. She was 57 years old.

As children, Lara and her brother, John, were raised in Edina, MN; Belmont, CA; and Kingwood, TX. After graduating from Kingwood High School in 1986, she earned her B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Texas at Austin in 1989 and her M.B.A. in Management and International Business from The University of Houston in 1993.

She worked as an instructional designer with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) for five years in San Diego, CA, and she taught third grade for five years in Houston, TX, first grade for two years in Naples, Italy, and eighth grade for eight years in Austin, TX. During her time teaching English Language Arts at Canyon Ridge Middle School, her students bestowed upon her the nickname "Mama Fletch" due to her penchant for stopping instruction mid-lesson to impart random life lessons for their academic futures.

In the middle of her career experiences, Lara took a 15 year break to serve as a Navy wife and stay-at-home mother. She initially met her future husband while standing in line at Taco Bell and mentally preparing for an English as a Second Language lesson titled: "Making Small Talk with Strangers." After a courtship in San Diego, they followed Uncle Sam's orders and raised their children in San Diego, CA; Honolulu, HI; Tokyo, Japan; Stuttgart, Germany; Naples, Italy; and Lakehurst, NJ before settling in Austin, TX. Any challenges with uprooting the family every two to three years were far outweighed by the blessings of exploring different corners of the Earth.

Throughout her life, she was fascinated with genealogy which became her hobby and passion. She loved traveling throughout the United States, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands with Chris and the children visiting newfound family, making new friends, reviewing city archives and visiting cemeteries. Through her research she discovered and reconnected with family in the United States and Europe while building the family tree. When the family moved to Austin they were embraced by the Austin Christian Fellowship community. Her Christian faith and friendships were of utmost importance to her. Lara's special skill was in making new friends and keeping old ones. She had a smile, warm greeting and loving personality for everyone she met.

Lara was preceded in death by her parents, John Diedenhofen of Reno, NV, and Sheryl Baker Diedenhofen of Kingwood, TX. She is survived by her husband of 29 years, CAPT Christopher Fletcher, USN (Ret) of Austin, TX; her children, LTJG Madeleine Fletcher, USN of Norfolk, VA and Thomas Fletcher of Austin, TX; her brother, John Diedenhofen of Las Vegas, NV; and many beloved family and friends. Lara was a wonderful wife, mother and friend. She will be greatly missed by all whose lives she touched.

As per her wishes, Lara will be cremated and interned at Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego, CA. Now a Marine Corps base, Miramar was home to the original Navy Top Gun and is located near Chris & Lara's first home, where they often watched jets (the sound of freedom) soar overhead. She will rest in a VA columbarium niche and - like all Navy spouses - wait patiently for her beloved Sailor to come home to her.

Lara's Memorial service will be at Austin Christian Fellowship on Saturday August 9, 2025 at 11:00 a.m., 6401 River Pl Blvd in Austin, Texas.

To read about Lara's battle with cancer, see https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/larafletcher. To hear Lara speak about her Christian journey, search for LDF - My God Story (iPhone) on YouTube.