Marion A. Diel was born on a farm 3 miles north of Hitchcock, OK on Jan. 15, 1914. He departed this life on Aug. 5, 2010 in OKC at the age of 96. His early years were spent in and around Okeene and Hitchcock. He graduated from Hitchcock High School in 1932. It was at the Hitchcock school that Marion and his future wife, Virginia Lorenz, first met. She was in the fourth grade, he was in the fifth. They were married on October 30, 1936. To this union was born two daughters, Joi Dell and Sue Ayn. Marion Diel is a familiar name to Clinton residents since he taught school in Clinton for 15 years, the last 7 as superintendent. The name is also familiar to travelers who cross the Marion Diel Bridge on state highway 33 between Thomas and Fay. The bridge was named after Diel in honor of his 7 years of service as a commissioner for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Prior to World War II, Diel taught at Cyril High School and was elementary principal at Cyril and Watonga schools. After the war, Diel experimented with a variety of careers, including partnerships in an accounting firm and in the retail business of Lorenz and Sons in Thomas and Lorenz and Diel in Clinton. In 1956, Diel sold his interests in the retail stores and returned to his first love, education. During his second career in education, he served as elementary principal in Clinton, superintendent of schools in Corn, and registrar in his alma mater, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, before returning to Clinton as superintendent of schools. As a retired superintendent, Diel says he is a man who has lost his faculties and no longer has any principals. Diel has also served the public in both local and state civic positions. Locally, he was mayor of Thomas and president of Clintons Chamber of Commerce. In addition to his service at the Department of Transportation, Diel also served two terms in the state House of Representatives and 6 years on the Board of Regents for Higher Education. As chairman of the Regents Search Committee, he recommended the appointment of Bill Lillard as president of the University of Central Oklahoma, the late Leonard Campbell as president of Southwestern Oklahoma State University, and Bill Struckel as president of Northwestern Oklahoma State University. A Sunday school teacher for more than 50 years, Marion has also been involved in church activities. For more than 60 years, he has acted as a lay or substitute preacher in the Clinton area, often filling the pulpit for vacationing clergy. Diel and his wife, the former Virginia Lorenz, were married for 57 years before her death in 1993. Some of Diels fondest memories include traveling with Virginia. Together they traveled to Egypt, Greece, and the Holy Land and throughout Europe. Diel especially enjoyed visiting Germany since he spoke German fluently. Another source of pride is their joint research of their family history. For 15 years, they traced their family trees back to the mid 1700s. They compiled and published their heritage for other family members to pass down to future generations. He named the book, To the Second and Third Generation. In 1996, he married Emma Sue Bagley Smith and extended his family to include a son, Stephen R. Smith and his wife Carol, two grandsons, Jeremy Smith and Matthew Smith and a granddaughter Miranda. Marion and Sue Diel enjoyed their combined and extended families very much. Sue Diel died July 3, 2006. This left M.A. alone. He often said he had 2 beautiful marriages. He is survived by his oldest daughter Joidy Salisbury and husband Wayne, and youngest daughter Sue Ayn Moore and husband Don; 4 grandchildren, Hal Salisbury and wife Tracy, Kristy Arnold and husband Jamie, David Moore and wife Holly, Kasey Parr and husband Doug, and 7 great-grandchildren. Viewing will be Sunday, noon to 9pm at Mercer-Adams, Bethany, OK. Funeral services will be Monday, August 9, 10:00am at Mercer-Adams Chapel with interment at 2:00pm in Lorenz Cemetery, Hitchcock, OK.