Obituary: Mary L. Dietz, 58, Loved Sea Shells and Time in the Sun

Mary L. Dietz, 58, of Portsmouth, RI passed away on Monday, April 6, 2015, at St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, MA. after a 16 month heroic battle with lung cancer. Mary was born January 19, 1957 in Newport, RI to the late Henry P. and the late Joan C. (Brownell) Ferreira. Mary was the wife of Charles Dietz, her husband of 38 years.

Mary was a Rogers High School Graduate, Class of 1975. She was a bus monitor and most recently worked as a custodian for the Portsmouth School Department for the past 12 years at the Melville and Hathaway Elementary Schools until her recent illness. In her spare time, she enjoyed taking motorcycle trips with her husband every year to Vermont, but also took numerous trips to New Hampshire, New York, Tennessee, North Carolina and Florida. She loved spending time in the sun and will be thoughtfully remembered for her love of seashells and flip-flops.

Besides her husband, Mary is survived by her children; daughter, Katherine Waite and her husband Brian of Little Compton, RI, daughter, Karen Dietz of Cleveland, OH, and her twin sons Christopher Dietz and his wife Laura of Smithfield, RI and Kevin Dietz of Portsmouth, RI and his companion Melinda Slavick.

Mary also leaves behind her brother Joseph Ferreira and his wife Janice of Little Compton, RI, a sister Julie Barret and her husband Greg of Portsmouth, RI and brother Robert Ferreira of Portsmouth, RI.

She also has four grandchildren Jordan Dietz, Ashley Bickham, Kyle Dietz, and Daniel Dietz, a sister-in-law Billie Jane Valente and her husband Paul of Little Compton, RI and her parents-in-law Billie and Barbara Dietz of Portsmouth RI.

She was predeceased by her Brother, Alfred Ferreira.

Calling hours will be held before the service on Friday, April 10, 2015, from 10:00 to 11:00 am at Connors Funeral Home, 55 West Main Road, Portsmouth, RI.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, April 10, 2015, at Connors Funeral Home.

Her burial will be private.

Memorial donations in her memory may be made to the Lung Cancer Research Foundation, 155 East 55th Street, Suite 6H, New York, NY 10022.