Ronald Wayne Dietz

Ronald W. Dietz — the only son of the late Winfield and Mai Bruhn Dietz, and devoted husband of Karen Dietz (Musialkiewicz) — passed away peacefully at home Thursday morning, July 9, surrounded by his loving family.

Ron spent most of his life in Kingston before moving to Bluffton, South Carolina in 2009. A 1958 graduate of Kingston High School, he served in the U.S. Navy until 1962. He went on to work as a Deputy Sheriff for the Ulster County Sheriff's Department, then spent 35 years at Central Hudson Gas and Electric, where he never missed a call, day or night. He retired in 2000 as a First-Class Working Foreman, having built his career on hard work and unwavering principle.

He was that same dependable, loving man to his family — a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather through and through. Ron was generous, a man of few words with an unexpected sense of humor. Family meant everything to him — right up until his final days, he was still getting down on the floor to play with his great-grandchildren.

An avid golfer, Ron loved the courses of the Low Country, soaking up the sun at the beach and traveling with his wife through Europe, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean.

Ron was the loving father of Teresa J. Pyrtle (Jim) of East Bend, NC and Carrie A. Bailey (Wayne) of Wake Forest, NC, and stepfather of Richard A. Nace, Jr. (Lisa) of West Shokan, NY and Kevin M. Nace (Michelle) of Phoenicia, NY. He is survived by five grandchildren — Jessica, Daniel, Shawn Paige, Ian Bailey, and Konnor Nace — and great-grandchildren Rusty Jr., Ryan, and Levi, along with his brother-in-law Thaddeus Musialkiewicz and sister-in-law Myra Musialkiewicz among other extended family members.

Arrangements entrusted to Keyser Funeral & Cremation Service, Kingston, NY, where family and friends are invited to gather on Thursday, July 16, from 5pm to 7pm, to honor his memory and celebrate his life. A brief prayer service at 7pm will conclude the evening. A tribute for Ronald may be found at KeyserFuneralSerivce.com, where you may leave memories and expressions of sympathy for his family. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in his memory be made to the Wounded Warrior Project or the Alzheimer’s Association.