JULIUS W. DIECKERT
Dr. Julius W. Dieckert, 81, Professor Emeritus, Texas A-M
University passed away June 16, 2006, at his villa in the Davis
Mountains. Dr. Dieckert and his wife of 58 years, Marilyne, had
recently returned to their home after 11 weeks in Temple, Texas,
where he was treated for a series of strokes at Scott and White
Memorial Hospital and Santa Fe Center.
Dr. Dieckert was born in Houston, Texas in 1925. A World War
II veteran, he received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from
Texas A-M University, prior to accepting a position as Research
Biochemist at U.S.D.A. Southern Regional Research Laboratories
in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1960, Dr. Dieckert returned to
Texas A-M University as Assistant Professor in the Department
of Biochemistry. He was promoted to Associate Professor, then
Full Professor, before becoming Interim Head of the Biochemistry
Department. In 1979, Dr. Dieckert transferred his research program
to the Department of Plant Sciences, later moving his Biochemical
Cytology and Laboratory to the Department of Poultry Science in
1989. Dr. Dieckert received numerous awards for his research in
Biochemical Cytology and Protein Chemistry, authoring and coauthoring
many scientifi c articles and book chapters with his wife,
Dr. Marilyne C. Dieckert, who worked as his Research Associate
throughout his career.
Dr. Dieckert is survived by his wife, Marilyne; two daughters,
Kristin Feuerbacher (San Antonio) and Julia Yaun (Austin);
three sons, Dr. Paul Dieckert (Temple), Joseph Dieckert (Bryan),
and Erik Dieckert (Cedar Park); 17 grandchildren, and 3 greatgrandchildren.
In 2000, Dr. Dieckert and his wife were honored by the State
of Texas for their philanthropy in the donation of seven sections
of land in Brewster County to the Texas State Department of
Parks and Wildlife, to be maintained in perpetuity as a protected
wilderness area. The land has been designated the “Dieckert Masada
Ridge Wilderness Unit of Big Bend Ranch State Park.”
A memorial celebration of Julius Dieckert’s life will be held July
1 at 11:00 a.m. in Alpine, Texas, at the congregation of Unitarian
Universalists of the Big Bend, which Dr. and Mrs. Dieckert founded
March 21, 2004. The family asks that any memorial contributions
be sent to Wildlife Rescue – Rehabilitation, Inc., P.O. Box 369,
Kendalia, TX. 78027, or to Unitarian Universalists of the Big
Bend, P.O. Box 1072, Alpine, Texas 79831.
A memorial contribution will be sent to Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Inc.
by Mrs. Elda M. Atkinson,
widow of Dr. Robert L. Atkinson,
a deceased member of the
Texas A – M Department of Poultry Science,
Collage Station, Texas.
God be With You, Elda
We are praying for the Dieckert family so they may receive comfort from God in this time in their lives.
Erik,
I was so sorry to hear about the passing of your dad. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. May God grant you peace and comfort during this difficult time.