Hilda Roberta Diehl passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, on July 2, 2024, in Lumberton, Texas.
Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, July 6, 2024, at Claybar Keley-Watkins Funeral Home in Beaumont, Texas. Officiating will be Reverend Phil Burnaman of First Baptist Church Vidor in Vidor, Texas. Burial will follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Beaumont.
Visitation will be held before the service, beginning at 9:00 a.m., Saturday, July 6, 2024, at Claybar Kelley-Watkins Funeral Home in Beaumont.
Born on November 29, 1929, in Beaumont, Texas, she was the oldest child of Lee Lawrence McNeel, Sr. and Aby Pierce McNeel. Hilda was an extraordinary individual whose life touched many hearts.
A graduate of South Park High School and Chenier Business College, Hilda dedicated 30 years of her life to working as an accountant at GMAC before retiring with her husband Earl to the welcoming community of Old Tennessee in 1985. Her strong work ethic and meticulous attention to detail left a lasting impression on all who had the pleasure of knowing her.
Her love for numbers was only surpassed by her love for music. Hilda found immense joy in playing the piano and sharing her musical talents with others. She often performed at churches and nursing homes, bringing light and harmony to those around her.
Hilda's selflessness knew no bounds. She adored her family and friends wholeheartedly, always putting their needs above her own. Her kind spirit and nurturing presence will be deeply missed by all who were fortunate enough to have her in their lives.
She is preceded in death by her loving husband of 46 years, Earl Diehl, Jr.; her parents, Lee Lawrence McNeel, Sr., and Aby Pierce McNeel; her brothers, Lee Lawrence McNeel, Jr., and Glenn Stevens McNeel, Sr.; and her sisters, Juanita McNeel (infant), and Velma Joyce Dyson.
Those left to cherish her memory are her stepchildren, Gary Wayne Diehl of Athens, Texas, and Karen Sue Diehl Morris of Midland, Texas. She also leaves behind her sisters, Earline McCormick of Atlanta, Georgia, and Linda Sue Leger of Lumberton, Texas; along with numerous nieces and nephews who cherished her dearly.
Serving as pallbearers, will be Glenn McNeel, Jr., Jeff McNeel, Justin McNeel, Kenneth Cockrill, Rob Dyson, and Chase Daigle.
Hilda's family would like to extend a special thanks to Joyce Lopez and her staff at Whispering Oaks Lodge in Lumberton, Texas.