Local family inducted into Lodi Hall of Fame
In recognition of their decades of service to the city, the Diede Family has been inducted into the Lodi Community Hall of Fame.
Lloyd and Lillian Diede moved to Lodi in 1958, where Lloyd was a volunteer with the Woodbridge Fire District. Lloyd and Lillian’s sons, Wayne, Steve and Bruce, along with Steve’s wife, Bo, started Diede Construction in 1978, which has since expanded and evolved into Diede Companies. The business currently employs approximately 240 people. The original four founders still run the business, joined by the next generation of Diedes: Jake, Jessica, Kari, Brett, Cody and Troy.
Diede Companies has donated time, labor and materials to projects such as the Lodi Lake Boathouse, Tokay Peace Garden, Micke Grove Zoo Hospital, Lodi Veterans Memorial, Grape Bowl Press Box, LOEL Center and the Veterans Memorial at Micke Grove Park.
Wayne Diede served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army Rangers during the Vietnam War, before returning to Lodi where he served as a board member for the Micke Grove Zoological Society, where he was president for four years. Wayne also worked with the Salvation Army, and sat on the Stockton Builders Exchange’s Board of Directors for 12 years, where he also served as president. Brett currently sits on the board, continuing the family tradition and working with the board to provide approximately $20,000 each year in scholarships for students pursuing an education in construction.
Steve Diede received the Legacy Award from Assemblyman Jim Cooper, D-Elk Grove, in 2016 to recognize his philanthropic works including serving a member of the Lodi Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Board of Directors since 2008, working with his wife, Bo, to organize events such as Walk For the Health of It, Summer Fest and the Dr. Russell B. Steele Memorial Golf Tournament. Wayne Craig, president and CEO of the Lodi Memorial Hospital Foundation, called Steve and Bo major supporters of the hospital, adding that the family donated 13 plaques to the Tribute Wall located next to the fountain in the hospital’s Healing Garden.
“They are wonderful board members and strong supporters who helped grow the foundation. They are one of the greatest families in town,” said Craig.
Steve is also a founding board member and current treasurer of the Giving Opportunities to Kids (GOT Kids) Foundation, providing support to children in Lodi Unified School District. GOT Kids has raised nearly $100,000 annually over the past three years to help fund academic enrichment programs and extracurricular activities. Steve also recently proposed a new program to provide clothing for homeless children.
GOT Kids secretary Lynn Aebi nominated the Diede family to the Lodi Community Hall of Fame.
“He has been instrumental in the foundation’s growth and success. I joined the board in 2014, and I’ve been blessed to have his and his family’s support, sponsoring every event
we’ve held. They’ve given so much to the Lodi community over three generations, I felt it was important for the family to be recognized,” said Aebi.
Eric Daegling, vice president of the Bank of Stockton’s Lodi Business Banking Center, also praised longtime customers Steve, Wayne, Bruce and Bo, saying that they have been active with GOT Kids, the Lodi Grape Festival and several other events.
“I’ve always known them to be very active in serving the community, it’s always been a hallmark of that family. I think there’s a real dedication to getting involved in the community,” said Daegling.
The Diede family prepared the following statement regarding their induction into the Lodi Community Hall of Fame:
“We don’t know what earned us a spot in the Hall of Fame. Our choices are made to better the community. We are proud of the family. There are a lot of us, and it is sometimes hard to manage, but we all have similar goals and know if we stick together, we are able to make a bigger impact than we can on our own.
“That is the benefit of being together. We are giving back but making memories at the same time. All of the kids and now grandkids have been involved in youth and HS sports. If we weren’t coaching, we were being team moms or dads, or sponsoring; maybe all of the above. We have participated in many non-profits that we have been able to watch the fruit of ours and many others’ labor flourish: Lodi Memorial, Micke Grove, Salvation Army, Boys and Girls Club, Leadership Lodi and Got Kids, all programs that we are proud to have been, and continue to be, a part of. Participation has allowed us to meet and get to know so many great people in our community. We are very blessed.
“We are grateful and honored to be recognized by our peers. We are proud of our community, our family and the many others that we consider family. We appreciate the thousands of others in our community that may not be recognized but give tirelessly to make these programs available and for the unbelievable benefit they provide so many others.”