Former Reel Seafood Chef Killed In Crash; Memorial Fund Created

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- A memorial fund has been created to help the family of a man killed Sunday in a two-vehicle crash in Sandy Springs. The Memorial Fund for Chef Don Diem has been established on GoFundMe, and is aiming to raise $45,000 to cover any expenses Diem's family will have to face due to his sudden passing.

Diem, a 44-year-old Marietta resident, was behind the wheel of 2008 white Dodge Ram that slammed into the rear of a tractor trailer Aug. 20 along GA-400 southbound just south of the Northridge Road interchange, Sandy Springs police previously told Patch.

The weekend before his death was "wonderful," as Diem spent those last moments with his wife, Georgianna, and their daughter, Taylor, the GoFundMe page reads. Taylor wanted to embark on her new school year with a new bedroom, so the family spent the bulk of Saturday "painting and primping until everything was perfect."

"The next morning, Don was going to treat himself to something he loved dearly: a morning of fishing and solitude," account organizer Bob Boyett said. "Around noon Don called home to let Georgianna and Taylor know he was heading home to spend the rest of the day with them. Sadly, Don never made it home."

Diem was a chef who was "very excited" to start a new job that would open new doors for him and his family (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

However, Diem did not have life insurance, so money collected via GoFundMe will help the family address any immediate needs and to ensure his wife and child continue to "prosper and thrive as Don would have wanted them to," Boyett said, noting some of the money will also be set aside for Taylor's future education.

Boyett said anyone who met Diem understood three things about him: that his love for life was contagious, he loved his family and friends and he was amazing chef who loved food as much as he loved people.

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Diem's former employer, Woodstock-based Reel Seafood, agreed, adding Diem was a creative and talented chef who was loved by everyone.

"He was so full of life," the restaurant said on its Facebook page. "He made incredible wine dinners and daily specials that our guest raved about; they were unforgettable. His passion was to make people happy and he did that famously."

Anyone who wishes to donate to the memorial fund can do so by clicking here.

Image via GoFundMe