Dennis Gerard Diaz, Sr., born March 26, 1951, passed away on July 10, 2020, after a brief illness. Born to the late Herman S. Diaz, Sr., and the late Irene Hebert Diaz. Devoted husband of 30 years of Margaret Slattery Diaz. Beloved Father of Robin Ann Diaz, of Chalmette, LA, Dennis Gerard Diaz, Jr. of Picayune, MS, and Michelle Maria Diaz of Slidell, LA.
Brother of Brenda Diaz of Pearl River, LA, and Carol Ann Lichenstein of Houma, LA. Brother of the late Herman S. Diaz, Sr., the late Ronald R. Diaz, the late Robert B. Diaz, and the late Susan M. Diaz. Beloved Grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, brother-in-law, and true friend. He was the former husband of Pauline (Tina) Gioe.
Dennis was born in New Orleans and moved to St. Bernard when he was just a teen. He graduated from Chalmette High school in 1970. From there, he joined the Merchant Marines, where he traveled all over the world, including the South China Sea. Upon his return, he joined the U.S. Air Force, where he served in Othello, WA, Okinawa, Japan, and Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS.
He returned to St. Bernard Parish and settled there until Hurricane Katrina. He moved to Slidell, LA, and remained there until his death.
Dennis started his career at the original Tenneco Refinery, which went onto become Mobil, then ExxonMobil, and retired in 2009 after 30 years of service. He loved Chalmette: proud of where he lived, his roots, and was always willing to share a story or the history of the area to those who visited. He was a great ‘tour guide’ and ambassador of his city.
Dennis was an avid huntsman and loved spending time with his son and friends at his camps in Mississippi and Alabama. Not many weekends went by from September to January that he wasn’t at the camp; work parties, bow hunting, then it was gun season. In the spring, you could find him on the golf course. He loved to play and watch.
After his retirement, his activities became limited because of declining health. Still, he always wanted to return to Chalmette, his home, where he grew up, settled, and wanted to spend his days until Hurricane Katrina forced him out. He enjoyed spending time with his family, and he didn’t miss too many years on the annual ‘Florida Trip’ with the SRB friends. He will be forever missed by those that loved him: his wife of 30 years, his children, in-laws, and his friends, especially Paula and Lee Seward.
Special Thanks to the employees and staff at Oak Park Village Slidell, and Passages Hospice, who made his last few weeks comfortable. We are forever grateful for your outpouring of care and love we received.
A visitation and funeral service was held at St. Bernard Memorial Funeral Home, in Chalmette, on Friday, July 17, 2020. He was laid to rest in St. Bernard Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Passages Hospice, 20081 Hwy 36, Covington, LA, or Hospice House of South Louisiana, P.O. Box 5806 Slidell, LA 70469.
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