Milton S. Dietz

Milton S. Dietz, age 92, of Cambridge, MA, died peacefully on September 1, 2024, surrounded by family.

Milton was born in October 1931, to Jack & Gertrude Dietz in Brooklyn, NY, the eldest of three sons. The family moved to Cedarhurst, NY, and it was on his high school tennis courts that Milton, home from MIT on summer break, met Carol Kirsch in 1950. A love match ensued. Carol too eventually headed to Cambridge for college, and there they settled, marrying in 1955. When children followed, the family moved to Lexington; in retirement, Carol and Milton returned to Cambridge.

When Milton was in third grade, his teacher appended a note to his first term report card prophesying that “Milton will be an engineer.” At age 16, he proved that teacher right, matriculating at MIT to study mechanical engineering. He received his BS in 1952 and his MS in 1954. In 1955, Milt moved a few blocks down the street to Polaroid Corporation, where he worked for nearly 40 years.

Milt began at Polaroid as a design engineer, quickly assuming leadership positions and ultimately becoming Senior Vice President of Engineering in 1980. He specialized in camera and photographic hardware development and held 21 US patents. In the 1970’s, he directed the operation to create a new camera platform featuring the Pronto and One Step, still iconic products today. In 1986, with his appointment as Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning and Corporate Development, Milt turned his attention to the company’s organization and future. It was a career that spanned from fine details to the big picture.

Milt’s passion for design and meticulous craftsmanship found expression in all facets of his life. He and Carol were devotees of Scandinavian design, Italian espresso machines, and sporty cars. And he built – a back deck, elaborate Halloween costumes for his daughters, and especially boats. Early in their marriage, he and Carol built a sailboat in a friend’s garage, which they loved to take on the water. Later, Milt became a model boat builder.

Milt’s greatest love, however, was family. He and Carol were soul mates and best friends for their 74 years together. On a remarkable European honeymoon, they became adventurous, curious travelers, and would later take their daughters on amazing trips around the world. In retirement, they were always on the go. It was on these expeditions that Milt honed his eye as a street photographer, a subject he taught in courses at the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement. The best trips, however, included their four grandchildren, with whom Milt shared particular, abiding passions – military history, craft, photography, sports, and science.

Milton is survived by his loving wife, Carol Dietz; daughters Laura Corb & husband Howard Corb, and Vivien Dietz & husband Jonathan Berkey; grandchildren Aidan and Olivia Berkey, and Alexander and Isabel Corb; and brother David Dietz. He is predeceased by brother Charles Dietz.

Donations can be made in Milton Dietz’s memory to the Parkinson’s Foundation, www.parkinson.org