Lovell Daniel DIDDY

DIDDY, TOMSON, COLVARD, SERGILE, ORR, FITZSIMMONS

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 12/14/2008 at 10:52:54

Lovell Daniel Diddy, 96, of Ridge Manor, Fla., died Nov. 25, 2008, at Haven Hospice, Gainesville, Fla. He is survived by a son, Gary Diddy and wife, Janet, of Arvada, Colo.; a daughter, Kathleen Tomson and husband, Farol, of Gainesville, Fla.; five grandchildren: Sara Diddy Colvard and husband, John, of Centerburg, Ohio, Hugh Diddy and wife, Eve, of New York City, N.Y., Farol L. Tomson, of Dallas, Texas, Elizabeth Tomson Sergile and husband, Alain, of Madrid, Spain, and Eric Tomson and wife, Kelly, of Richmond, Va.; seven great-grandchildren: Jake, Chloe and Sophia Colvard of Centerburg, Ohio, Tessa, Sebastien and Ian Sergile of Madrid, Spain, and Samantha Tomson of Richmond, Va.; and one sister, Marjory Orr, of Council Bluffs.

He was born Dec. 17, 1911, to D. Walter and Ida Diddy, in Washington Township, Iowa. He graduated in 1931 from Washington Township High School, Washington Township, Iowa; he received his BA in 1936 from Drake University and his Master of Science degree in education in 1942 from Drake University. He taught school at Washington Township High School, Minburn, Iowa, and West Bend High School, Iowa; and was superintendent of schools at DeSoto, Iowa. In June of 1944 he joined the Marine Corps as a Second Lieutenant and in 1950 was promoted to captain in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. After WW II he served as superintendent of schools at Meservey, Iowa, for 18 years; and principal of Meservey-Thornton, Iowa, and Ventura, Iowa, school districts. His avocation was coaching girls basketball - he had more than 400 career victories in 24 years of coaching. In 1939 he lead the West Bend team to a state championship and coached four teams in state meets. In 1957 the Meservey girls finished third in the state championships and in 1958 they placed fourth. After retirement as an educator in 1974, Lovell and Lucille started dividing time between Iowa and Florida so they could spend more time pursuing their love of golf.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Lucille; parents; two brothers: Paul and Lovell's twin brother, Loren; and one sister, Phyllis FitzSimmons.

Memorial services will be held for Lovell and Lucille at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at the Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Fla.

Mason City Globe Gazette
12/4/2008