Laura C. Dieter (Villarreal)
May 18, 1930 – November 5, 2022
VISITATION: Friday, November 11, 2022, 4:30PM, at West Center Chapel, followed by a VIGIL at 6:30PM.
MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL: Saturday, November 12, 2022, 10:00 am, at St. Robert Bellarmine Church, 11802 Pacific St.
Interment: Resurrection Cemetery
To view a live stream of the services, go to www.heafeyheafey.com and click the “View Live Cast” button.
Memorials may be directed to Creighton University’s English Department.
Laura C. Dieter (Villarreal) was born on May 18, 1930, to Pete and Rafaela Villarreal in Valley, Nebraska.
Laura graduated from Valley High School and attended the College of Saint Mary and Creighton University. During college, Laura worked as a comparative shopper for Brandeis Department Store. After graduating from Creighton, Laura taught English and Drama at Papillion High School from 1953 to 1957. She then taught at Indian Hill Junior High in Omaha, Nebraska, where she met the love of her life and future husband, Harold “H.D.” Dieter. After receiving her Master’s Degree in English from Creighton, she accepted a teaching position in upstate New York at Newburgh Academy. A year later, she married H.D. Dieter and they both accepted teaching positions in Denver, Colorado. She continued to teach at Heritage High School in Littleton, Colorado, for 18 years.
In the 11 years before retiring, Laura became an education consultant as a 4MAT Learning Style Educator and traveled all over the country instructing teachers how to accommodate different types of learning styles in the classroom. She was also on the off-campus faculty of Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado. Laura’s love of teaching, enthusiasm and dedication inspired lifelong learning skills that have remained with many of her students to this day. She has also remained a favorite teacher of many of her students. In 2018, Laura was named by the Papillion La Vista Schools Foundation as a Legendary Educator and was inducted into the Foundation’s Hall of Fame.
Laura and H.D. were married for 61 years and had two daughters, Lisa and Gina. Laura and H.D. were constant companions and partners in life. She lived an exciting and remarkable life. She and H.D. led numerous tour groups to Europe and Hawaii, owned and operated a Putt-Putt Golf Course, including a bumper car and arcade, and traveled extensively. Laura loved trees and they took many trips to see the fall colors. She loved music, especially classical and opera, books, literature, poetry, traveling, and most of all, her husband and family. She will be greatly missed.
Laura was preceded in death by her parents, Pete and Rafaela Villarreal; brothers: Pete, Ray and Johnny. She is survived by her husband, H.D. Dieter; daughters, Lisa (Ron) Hunter and Gina (Roger) Pearson; sister-in-law, Ann Crabtree; grandchildren: Maria, Luke and Scotty Pearson and Nicholas Hunter.
7 Comments
HD and family,
So sorry for your loss. Laura always had such a positive attitude and was such a joy to talk to. Thinking of you all during this time.
Ed, Lindsey, Elynn, and Austyn Brezenski
Laura was a classmate and friend of my Aunt Mary Lou at Valley High. My mother Lois sends her sympathy.
Dear H.D., Lisa, Gina and families,
Our hearts are most certainly with you during these difficult days. Laura was always a treasured friend. Our times spent with you both, H.D., are some of our favorite memories. A gifted teacher, 3 of our children still claim her as one of their most favorite instructors… ever! Her joy, and enthusiasm for life were definitely contagious. She was a beacon of light, an encourager of so many, and will be remembered by everyone whose life she touched!
Words cannott convey the deep sadness I feel at the loss of my dear friend. Laura has been a treasured friend for over forty years. She and HD saw me through some difficult times in my life, and for their support and kindness I will be forever grateful. We shared both our joys and sorrows as our friendship grew over the years. I consider the Dieters an extension of my own family and pray that you find comfort and solace in one another. I will hold my many happy memories of my dear friend Laura close to my heart and trust we shall see each other again.
HD and Family, my condolences on the loss of such a bright, shiny light! I was a student in Ms. Dieter’s Masters of American Literature class in 1985. She has remained one of my favorite teachers. I remember her with great fondness — she engaged us all with her obvious passion for the literature we were studying. Her energy, sense of humor, and rapport with me and my classmates made learning so much fun. I loved “Dieter’s Word of the Day” and shared with my family how Ms. Dieter gave me a process for learning vocabulary and how helpful this had been as I applied it to other subjects. Even now, whenever I say words that I specifically learned from her class (words like “precarious”, and “travesty”, and “alacrity”, to name a few) my husband and adult kids remark, “there she goes with a Dieter word!”. And, it always makes me smile. Her light endures!
Extending sympathy and prayers….We are all former students from Indian Hill Jr. High the first year it was open. Marcia and Elaine had Mr. Dieter for algebra and Ralph was in her English class.
Although my condolences are late, I felt a need to Post! I Met Laura at Panera Bread restaurant in Omaha about four years ago, Laura was a Ray-of-Sunshine!! Her Smile and kindness will always be remembered!! Laura touched the Lives of Many!! I hope her husband, H D and family are healing from her passing… Laura Is Missed!! Sending love to All!! Sandra Tuttle. husband, James and Family!!
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