Charles "Dave" David Diebold

Charles David Diebold passed on Wednesday March 31st, 2021, at the age of 91, at the Ohio Veteran’s Home in Sandusky, Ohio.

Dave was born on January 2nd, 1930, in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Charles E. Diebold and Ruth M. Curtis Diebold.

Dave grew up in the Cleveland Heights area and attended Cleveland Heights High School, where he was in the Rex Dei Grau fraternity.  He spent much of his youth working on cars, radio technology, photography knowledge, and carpentry skills.  He then attended Miami University of Ohio where he was a men’s counselor and a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.  Dave was the student photographer for the Miami University and Western College for Women’s yearbooks.

Upon graduating from Miami University in 1953, Dave then joined the Air Force, Rank A3, for the Korean Conflict and served from 1953 to 1955, based primarily in Morocco when deployed. In 1954, Dave got married to his long time sweetheart, Betty G. Diebold, a Western College for Women graduate, at the First Baptist Church of Greater Cleveland, and later in life he became a member and deacon of that same church.

Dave joined the workforce employed for Republic Steel. He conducted high-temperature, technical photography assessments of the steel plant’s blast furnaces, trained the company’s employees, and was an integral part of the organization’s Educational Department as it extended A/V and media education services out into the community. Republic Steel went bankrupt and abruptly shuttered the plants in the region during Dave’s tenure there. Dave was faced with a great challenge when Republic Steel closed its doors, but he applied his brilliance and ingenuity in his crafts and hobbies to go in an entrepreneurial direction professionally.  Dave went on to do contracted work at Scioto Downs and Northfield Race Tracks. He was responsible for all of the cameras, televisions, and photo-finishes at the race tracks. Owing to his experience, talent, and expertise with radio, motors, electronics, photography, and A/V equipment, Dave founded and worked for many businesses of his own design, such as TechniMedia Systems. He also installed the cameras and sound equipment for many churches, police stations, and other businesses all over the greater Cleveland area until he reached retirement.

Dave’s visionary ideas and advanced knowledge of these types of tools and equipment influenced much of the technology that we use today. He earned the nickname, “Mr. TV,” at the Wade Park Manor while residing there for helping to connect all of the modern facility’s television sets to cable in the 2010s.

Dave was extremely generous with his time, knowledge, and mechanical skills always helping those who crossed his path. When not working or helping to serve others, his time was focused on his love of family, nature, and travel. He designed and retrofitted the family’s “camper” to a custom style for taking family road trips. Dave loved to go camping, drive the open road, and take great photographs that captured moments that we shall always remember. As a family, we traveled from coast to coast, all over Canada, and visited almost every state park in Ohio.

He always took the time to play with us, be it building sandboxes and swing sets, going swimming, playing sports, or helping work on our school projects. He was a great teacher and fun company to be with. Always the decent, helpful, classy, respectful gentleman; integrity was at the core of his being. These adventures, Dad’s love for life, and his endearing sense of humor will be etched in our hearts and memories forever.

Charles David Diebold was preceded in death by his parents, his two brothers, Curtis Diebold and Donald (Donnie) Diebold, by his wife, Betty G. Diebold, by his brother in law, William Smith, by his sons-in-law, William J. McCarthy III and Michael J. Kotnik.

He is survived by his daughters, Donna L. Diebold-McCarthy, and her sons, Jordan McCarthy and Rowan McCarthy, Katherine R. Kotnik, and her daughters, Morgan Kotnik and Bailey Kotnik, his son, Charles Curtis Deisen, wife, Wendy Vance, and his children, Matthew Diesen , Evan Diesen, and Emily Jenkins (mother Janet Deisen.) He is survived by his special longtime friend of over 35 years, Carol Schmidt, daughters Lisa Perry, Trisha Schmidt, and son, Henry John (HJ) Schmidt. He is also survived by sister-in-law, Janet Smith, and many wonderful nieces, cousins, beloved friends, and great grandchildren; so, the legend of Dave Diebold lives on. We cherish the time that we all got to spend with you, and you will be dearly missed. Thank you, Dave!

Chaplain Paul Birmingham will be coming out of retirement to preside over the memorial service for Dave at 1:00 p.m. on Friday April 16th, 2021, at the Giffin Chapel of the Ohio Veteran’s Home 3416 Columbus Ave, Sandusky, Ohio 44870.

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