Cecilia shared her family, her recipes, her love of dogs and bridge with us. Her love for the Astros was special.She was a lady of many talents, but her greatest was making friends. We are missing her phone calls and her laughter already. 
Our love to you, her family, Dick and Sarah Ayers

I remember as kids Jimmy and I would go to his house, fresh from skateboarding or doing something we maybe shouldn't have, and the first thing I'd see was Mrs. Diehl, smiling in a way that said " I know what you've been up to. I hope it was fun!"  She always had a twinkle in her eye and a wicked sense of humor, which lives on in her kids, and I'm sure in her grandkids too.

I want to thank all of our friends and my Mom's friends who helped her, my sister Ceci, my brother Billy and me through her illness. Mom fought off leukemia for over two years. To all of you who helped by accompanying her to treatments, keeping her spirits high, visiting with her, and just continuing to do with her the things she loved to do, we are grateful beyond words. 

Especially in the last two months, the amount of calls and emails to find out how she was, the visits, the meals provided, the rides given, and the prayers prayed gave her and all of us the strength to get through her passing. You are a blessing.

Ceci was a very special person and a true and dear friend.  We will miss her.

Geoff and Jennifer Baxter, Mexico City.

My two daughters, Leah and Alexandra loved her more than she knew.  Abuela was the only " Granmother " they saw every week , spent holidays with and had a very positive impact on thier lives. She will live on in them and in all of us.

I have know Cecilia for over 25 years. 
A loving wife, mother, grandmother, frined and caregiver for Dean her husband. You has fought the good fight. Cecilia what a wonderful life, you will be missed by many. 
God has called you home to be with your husband, family and friends who have gone before you.. You are loved and blessed and God and the Angels welcome you home with loving arms.

Abuela was what inspired me. She never gave up and she always opened her heart. Hearing her voice on the phone always made me smile and when we used to dance in the kitchen or cuddle on her big couch, he arms just seemed like they could always wrap around me. She was a way for me to know I was safe, she was the one to inspire me to not give up after my surgery and she always knew how to make me smile. Abuela, you're still there as my inspiration, and you're smiling with me every day. I love you.

My Abuela was one of the greatest forces in my life. She never felt the need to keep her opinions and feelings hidden and her candor was my favorite thing about her. She loved us openly, and I will miss her so much--more than I might even realize right now. I know the past few weeks had been a struggle for her, even though they were filled with family and friends. But I also know that her new home in heaven is where she belongs, with my Abuelo, and that she will make just as many friends there as she has here. I love you Abuela, and I will miss you always.

We met Ceci at Bear Creek duplicate bridge about 10 years ago and have since shared wonderful times with her with bridge, opera, symphony, plays and of course Astros/Cardinals ball games.  She was a remarkable lady, always with humor and a smile.  She often spoke of her deceased husband and we know that they are once again united.  Thank You Lord for allowing us to know this wonderful lady.

I think that Mrs. Cecilia Diehl taught her children well. You see I never really knew her, but she instilled in them a part of herself and they are a shining example of how we leave a part of ourselves here.  The Diehl family is one of the most giving and wonderful examples of how human beings should give back. I am so proud to be a friend and I also share in their grief at this very sad time. The Rafizadeh Family,Morristown, NJ.

Mom, Cecilia, Ceci,  Mrs. Diehl, Señora,  Abuela,  many ways to addressed her depending on who was the interlocutor,  friends from Mexico would call her Ceci, friends from the States Cecilia,  grand kids called her Abuela as well as some of Ceci's  (little Ceci) friends.  As for me,  I always called her Señora, the old fashioned way of Mexico,  but one thing we all have in common,  is that,  it did not matter the age difference,  we all saw her as a dear friend.
She had the knack to make a connection with everybody, that being, her gardener, her doctor, her hair dresser, her mechanic, friends of Ceci, friends and family of mine, etc.  they all knew her by name and truly estimate her, she could talk to anybody and everybody.  You could talk to her about anything you wanted and she either would have a knowledge of that topic or would be truly interested in what you were saying.  She loved to learn new things and she was the most technical capable Abuela that  I know. She knew how to program her DVR, had a digital camera,  sent emails, paid her bills online, carried a cellular phone, knew how to use the iPad to send emails and read the Chronicle, play her iPod everyday while getting ready, nothing was off limits, she was always ready to learn something new.
She was a terrific cook, so good that I bought a “journal” so we could write about the dinners she made, so we could remember them and ask her to make them again.  It turn out that “Abuela's Kitchen” (engraved in the leather cover of the book) came to be, not just a journal of what she cooked,  but about the conversation during and after the dinner as in most cases some topic would be the main center of the conversation such as “the moco dinner”, “the butter knife dinner”,  “young Ceci's boyfriends dinner”, etc. 
I will miss her laughter as she had a wonderful sense of humor, and her stories from times past, I will miss her trying to recruit me to watch the Astros, I will miss her cooking and saying “I promise nothing”, there are so many things I'll miss from her, to express them  here, so I'll just say:
La quiero y la voy a extrañar mucho , mi querida Señora.
(I'll miss you and Love you Señora, my dear friend)

An inpiration to us all. This fantastic lady showed me what real courage is all about. Never one to complain about anything and always looking to help others.
I miss you!

Cecilia passed away yesterday afternoon.  She died quietly and painlessly in her own bed in her own house.  Her three children were bedside and they had spoken to her, in her comatose state, that it was ok to go...they would be fine.  There is little more one can ask from this life than to pass in such a peaceful way.
 
Cecilia was a cherished friend.  The span in our ages of an entire generation made little difference to our friendship.  We travelled from the Aztec pyramids of Mexico to the cornfields of Iowa.  We attended hundreds of Astros games and watched thousands more on TV.  She was easily their #1 fan.  She shared her family with me as I did with her.  We first met when Valimont was just a puppy and we discovered our mutual affection for dogs.  We met every morning for coffee and a dogwalk for nearly a decade.  She loved Valimont as much as I, lovingly caretaking her for over a year while I was away on business.
  
Cecilia taught me Spanish, I taught her how to use a PC.  I introduced her to Chicago HotDogs and Wisconsin Creampuffs, she introduced me to Chiles en nogada and Rompope.  We survived food poisoning in Puebla, an Amtrak wreck in Iowa and the Astros collapse in the 2005 World Series.        
 
Cecilia was there for my cancer battle and I was there for hers, which proved to be much more difficult.  I took her to MD Anderson for the better part of the last two years where she endured four clinical chemo trials and more poking, prodding and testing than anyone should have to face in a lifetime.  In the end the leukemia won of course, but Cecilia faced it square in the eye and suffered the indignities of treatment with unwavering courage, dignity and determination.  For me at least, that was her greatest legacy. 

Rest easy dear friend...

OBITUARY

Cecilia R. Diehl

June 10, 1930 – January 20, 2013

Memorial Oaks Funeral Home & Cemetery

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