03/31/2021
By Philip Sales
It is with a heavy heart that I share with you that our beloved Board Member Emeritus Dieter Deiss passed away on March 29 at the age of 89.
Dieter was the "Godfather of the VINE TRAIL." When I started on the Feasibility Study in 2006, I received a call from Dieter almost immediately. Dieter had encouraged and persuaded the cities and County to put up funds for the Feasibility Study. His dream was a trail that would connect all the communities in Napa Valley.
Dieter was an elegant gentleman who used soft diplomacy to make things happen.
In addition to the VINE TRAIL, Dieter was a member of the NVTA Alternative Transportation Advisory Committee, the founder of Calistoga Vitality, and a member of many civic organizations.
As a Board member, Dieter was a tireless advocate for the VINE TRAIL project, and it was a fitting honor that a bench was dedicated to him and Gundi in 2019. Although health issues slowed him down, he became a Board member Emeritus in 2019, and he continued to attend Board meetings as his health permitted.
I regret that we will not have Dieter to accompany us on the inaugural ride of the completion of all 47 miles, but I know that he will be with us in spirit.
Our thoughts are with his wife Gundi, daughter Susanne, and son in law, Mike Costanzo.