Marilyne Crill Dieckert

Marilyne C. Dieckert, Ph.D., recently passed away in her sleep after suffering recurrent strokes. She was able to be with her beloved family at her home until the very end.

Ms. Dieckert was born in Arkansas City, Kansas on August 15, 1929. During her entire life she was able to achieve musical excellence and performed at the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, The New Orleans Symphony Orchestra, and numerous churches and community musical venues in College Station, Bryan, Alpine, and New Orleans. She also served as organist and choir director at St. Thomas Episcopal Church (College Station), St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church (Bryan), and A&M United Methodist Church (College Station), and Lakeview Presbyterian Church and St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in New Orleans, LA.

She received musical degrees at Sul Ross University and science degrees in Botany and Avian Biology at Texas A&M University in College Station.

Dr. Dieckert teamed with the love of her life, J. W. Dieckert, Ph.D., who preceded her in death, to perform pioneering research in Biochemistry and Poultry Science. They collaborated on numerous research projects and were rewarded with significant independent research grant support over their long careers at Texas A&M.

She is survived by her children, Paul Dieckert (Belton), Kristin Feuerbacher (San Antonio), Joe Dieckert (Bryan), Julie Yaun (College Station) and Erik Dieckert (Leander), 17 grandchildren, and 12 great grandchildren.

The Dieckerts were staunch supporters of wildlife preservation, wilderness conservation, and wounded war veterans. They were honored by the state of Texas for their philanthropic donation of 4,480 acres 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 private family service will be held on the Masada Ridge this fall to honor Marilyne Dieckert, her husband J.W., and the animals that they knew and loved. The family requests that any memorial contributions be sent to Wildlife Rescue-Rehabilitation, Inc., PO Box 369, Kendalia, Texas 78027; or to Unitarian Universalists of the Big Bend, P.O. Box 1072, Alpine, Texas 79831.