Louis Albert Diller
May 4, 1930—August 14, 2022
Formerly of Highland Falls, NY
Louis Albert Diller passed away on August 14, 2022 at the McGuire Veterans Hospital in Richmond, VA at the age of 92. Lou joins his wife Shirley of 65 years, who passed in February of 2020. They are both survived by their daughter Suzanne Lawrence and her husband Ken of Doylestown, PA; son Michael Raines Diller of Midlothian, VA; daughter Cathlyn Diller O’Keefe of Simsbury, CT; son Erich Diller and his wife Jeanine of Sherman, CT; 10 Grandchildren and 3 Great-Grandchildren. Lou is also survived by his younger brother George Diller and wife Jane of Cornwall, NY.
Born on Mountain Avenue in Highland Falls in 1930, he was the son of Florence and Louis Diller and was the oldest of four boys with brothers; Robert, Raymond and George. The family lived on Eagle Valley Road until 1946 and as a teen, Lou worked at Graber’s Florist and later West Point. He graduated Highland Falls H.S. at the age of 16 and spent two years advancing his education in Business and Mathematics in Newburgh before joining the Navy in 1948 at the age of 18. While in the Navy, Lou was trained in meteorology and cryptography and was stationed in Japan during the Korean War from 1950-1952. At the end of his Navy service, and after meeting and marrying the love of his life, Shirley in 1955, he continued to pursue his lifelong passion for math and attended Hofstra University where he studied Accounting. This would lead to his career as a CPA and Internal Auditor with such companies as Singer in London, England; Crane and CBS in Manhattan, NY; and the Pall Corporation on Long Island, NY.
Lou had a passion for aviation and although he did not have the opportunity to fly while in the Navy, he did get his pilot’s license in Gerrards Cross, England in the late 1960’s. Lou also enjoyed boating, fishing, gardening, hiking and skiing and when not able to be outdoors, was an avid reader of biographies. Throughout his life and until the end, he fondly recalled visiting his brother George and wife Jane in Highland Falls and talked often of his early years hiking, fishing and hunting in the hills surrounding Highland Falls with his brothers, father and grandfather. And the family still has his wooden skis from his days ski jumping at Bear Mountain! Lou was a longtime New York Mets fan and after moving to Virginia in 1996 was also a volunteer, along with his wife Shirley, at the Chesterfield Historical Society in Virginia.
Over the years, Shirley and Lou made their family homes in Levittown, NY; Somerville, NJ; Gerrards Cross, England; Melville, LI; and for the past 27 years in Midlothian, VA.
He was a great friend, a better brother and the greatest father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Lou was a kind and gentle man who loved his family above all else and will be sorely missed by all those who knew him. He accomplished much in his long life and when pressed, his only regret was ‘not owning a Christmas Tree farm’. To that end, the greatest honor in his memory would be to plant a tree.
A Celebration of Life service near Highland Falls, NY and interment in Pinelawn, NY will be at a later date. Donations can be made to the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia.