Larry was born on born September 18, 1952, to Fred and Sophia (Meier) Diel and grew up on the family farm. His father passed away when he was 6 months old, and under the nurturing and care of his mother, Larry grew up to be a dedicated husband and father. He took over the farm at an early age and continued farming for the rest of his life. He slowly retired and only stopped when he was unable to continue.
Larry was an excellent farmer, and had some very good years which allowed him to vacation with his family, travel with Susan after the boys grew up, and provide for them always. Larry had a few traits that served him well during his lifetime. He was an early riser, which meant he could get out in the fields by 6:00 am and come in around 6:00 pm. When it was harvesting time, his days could be even longer. He worked very hard at farming and was proud of his accomplishments in getting a better production every year.
Being raised only by his mother, Larry knew what household work was too. As Susan would tell him “Your mother raised a good wife.", and for that, she was grateful. Larry never procrastinated and often couldn’t understand how those in his family could. He also took great care of everything he owned, be it tractors, cars, or boats, plus he could fix or repair just about anything.
Larry was frugal, but not cheap (and there is a difference). His philosophy was, “If it’s not broken, don’t buy a new one, if it is broken, try and fix it, and if all else fails...buy a new one, but shop around for the lowest price." With that being said, Larry was not “frugal” on vacations, Christmases, trips to see the Giants, or especially when going out to dinner. For these fun times, no expense was spared, and Larry and his family had many of them.
Larry grew up in the Rolinda area of Fresno County, where he attended Houghton-Kearney Elementary School and attended high school at Central High. Larry had two sons; Ryan in 1974, and Brock in 1977. He coached little league, went to every Pop-warner and high-school football game, and was an avid champion for his boys. Larry loved his two sons, was very proud of their accomplishments, and tried to guide them as best he could. When Larry became a grandfather to Braden, born in 2000, he was over the moon.
On Friday, February 11, 1983, at the Refectory (a bar some of you may remember), Larry met a woman named Susan. It wasn’t quite love at first sight, but it was definitely something. Upon learning where she worked, he sent her a dozen red roses on the following Monday, which happened to be Valentine’s Day. He swept her off her feet and the romance never ended. Susan and Larry were married on March 3, 1990, and enjoyed each others company until Larry’s passing, which brings much sadness as well as relief that Larry didn’t linger with Alzheimer’s as many unfortunate souls do.
Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Sophia Diel, and his much-loved Aunt Marion, who helped raise him. He leaves behind his best friend and love of his life, his wife, Susan. Larry also leaves behind his two sons, Ryan and Brock, his grandson Braden, and the first cousins he grew up with - Judy Robertson, Patty Lehman-Dykstra and Paula Ware.
A visitation for Larry will be held on Friday, September 12, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Stephens and Bean Chapel, located at 202 N Teilman Avenue, Fresno, California, 93706. A chapel service for Larry will begin at 10:00 am on Saturday, September 13, 2025, also at Stephens and Bean Chapel, followed by burial at Mountain View Cemetery. All who knew and loved Larry are welcomed to attend.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Larry's honor can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association by following the link listed below the obituary.
