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Lendol Diehl
Lendol Diehl, born March 8, 1937, passed away peacefully on November 2, 2022, with his family by his side.
He was born a poor farm child in Elkland, Missouri, and quickly became known as the orneriest of the six Diehl children. He struck out from his rural home after a cow-milking scandal that is still obscured by an iron-clad NDA. He journeyed in search of adventure, and he found it amongst innumerable experiences ranging from climbing the corporate ladder at an international vegetable canning conglomerate to scouring the foothills of Georgia for moonshiners during a long drive to Florida to collect his just dues for winning a sales contest designed to be “unwinnable.”
He even played lead guitar for a country and western band … or so he thought. He was, in fact, playing a ukulele in a Don Ho cover band, but none of his friends had the heart to correct him. Although it sounds apocryphal, all friends questioned about whether these events happened emphatically responded, “Most definitely. Yes!”
Lendol worked his way out of a litany of jobs all of which ended amicably… allegedly. His odyssey of employment was long and arduous, but he found his true calling in sales at Rockford Life Insurance, which took him to many exotic locales including Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Given that he spent his high school career focused on subjects such as flushing cherry bombs down the toilet and moving neighbors’ outhouses, it was shocking to most when he earned his CLU, and not only passed Dale Carnegie’s Leadership Development course, but also returned as an assistant for future classes. Dale once showered praise on his star pupil, saying, “Lendol is seldom correct, but never in doubt!”
Somewhere in the middle of all this living, he married Patricia Merriman in 1959, and raised a family including three daughters and one son of questionable repute.
He retired his working life as Executive VP of Sales at United American Insurance, and quietly slipped out of Plano under the cover of darkness.
His retirement became an award-winning foray into the world of Morgan horse competitions where he won two World Championships with his horse, Elkland Oaks Connie, who he raised, trained and showed.
It was quickly established, after his arrival in Neighborhood 32 of Sun City in 2006 that Lendol had the ability to transform any gathering into a party ... or at least the ability to supervise others in the preparations for a party that he would inevitably try to emcee. A skill he honed over many decades and tried to use only for good.
Lendol is preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Mildred Diehl, his brothers, Gary, Rex and Jerry, his son-in-law, Frank, and his daughter, Sandra.
Lendol is survived by his wife, Patricia; his children, Dianna (Terry), Cathy and Bill (Gracie); his grandchildren, Brian (Sara), Eric, Maggie, Greg, Stephen, and Isa; and his great-grandson, Jack.
Papa has grabbed his hat and hit the trail for the last time and he will be missed.
In lieu of flowers, make donations to the Wounded Warrior Project, Lendol’s favorite charity.
A celebration of life will begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 10, 2022, in the Chapel of Ramsey Funeral Home. Following the service, the family invites you to join them for a reception in the Reception Hall of Ramsey Funeral Home.
ramseyfuneral.com