Obituary

Patrick William Diehm, died unexpectedly of a heart attack at his home in Oklahoma City on Oct. 11, 2010. He was 51.

This obituary is dedicated to anyone who has struggled with health insurance and health care. Diehm was a true renaissance man: an accomplished pianist who loved Chopin and taught himself composition, a guitarist who could play classical as well as a mean rock lick, an engineer who understood the details of a circuit board and could repair anything and an intellectual who read a wide range of topics from history to politics to art.

He played a Yamaha flute and could ride a Yamaha motorcycle. He painted in oils, dressed with a sartorial aesthetic, loved animals, birds, and trees, was gentle, a natural athlete, had a keen sense of humor, and the best belly laugh. He will be missed deeply. Pat graduated from Midwest City High School in 1977, was married to Carolyn Wilson (Choctaw) from 1978 to 1982, and in 1988 graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. Diehm was preceded in death by his mother, E. Sue Wyatt Diehm. He is survived by his father, Henry Diehm (Del City) and his two sisters, Erin Diehm (Berkeley, Calif.) and Deirdre Diehm Gustavson (Redondo Beach, Calif.). In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Patrick’s memory to Infant Crisis Services, 1933 N.W. 39th, Oklahoma City, OK 73118 or Hope Community Services, 105 S.E. 45th, Oklahoma City, OK 73129.