David J. Dietrich, 63, went home to be with his Lord on Friday, March 16, 2018, due to a tragic accident. David was born on January 28, 1955 in Pasco, Washington to Robert and Margaret Dietrich. He was raised and educated in Pasco, and was a proud Pasco Bulldog. David began working at the Dietrich family-owned company, Pasco Garbage Service (later Basin Disposal, Inc), in 1973. He worked side-by-side with his father on the truck route in Pasco and Finley until his father retired, and continued working the route until he was moved to the Transfer Station (now Columbia Basin LLC) as a Traffic Flow Coordinator. In 2016 David celebrated 40 years of service to the company, and at the time of his death, he was the longest serving employee ever of Basin Disposal/Columbia Basin. David had a great loyalty to his family and to the family business. David was beloved by all who knew him. His family was his first love. As the youngest cousin in his large family, he was cherished and protected by his older cousins, aunts, uncles, all of his family. David had various nicknames given by those who love him. For example, he loved it when his older cousin, Larry, would visit the transfer station and holler out, "Hey, Davey D!" which put a big smile on his face. David enjoyed an especially close relationship with his parents, particularly his mama, who was his best friend, as well as his sister, brother, and sister-in-law. He had a deep affection for his nieces and nephew, all of whom adored him in return. He maintained close friendships with his colleagues over the years and often talked with much fondness of his friends with whom he worked. In addition to spending time with his family and friends, when David wasn't working, he enjoyed various pastimes. In his younger years he enjoyed motorcycle riding. When he got the chance to go fishing, he was in heaven. He would often take walks by the river. He liked to cook and eat spicy food. He enjoyed gardening, planting flowers and growing vegetables, especially tomatoes. David had a life-long love of animals, especially cats, of which he cared for many over the years. He also had a rooster named Ralph who would greet him when he came home and would watch TV with him. David's Christian faith was central to his life, and while he was quiet about it, as he was with just about everything, he lived out his faith with great compassion, forgiveness, and by being a point of peace in this world. David was extremely sensitive to the hurts of others and would do anything he could for someone in need - friends, family, and strangers alike. And, he never hesitated to celebrate the good fortune of others. The presence of the Holy Spirit within David was evident to all who knew or encountered him. David attended Country Christian Center for many years and considered it to be his faith home. David was preceded in death by his step-father, Stanley E. Hunstein; his father, Robert Dietrich; his brother-in-law, Max Porter; and his mother, Margaret T. (Dietrich) Hunstein. David is survived by his sister, Katy, and husband, John Svendsen of Yakima, WA; brother, Bob, and wife, Sue of Kennewick, WA; step-brother, Steve Hunstein of Graham, WA; niece, Rachelle, and husband, Tom Powell of Kennewick, WA; nephew, Bobby, and wife, Jessie Dietrich of Richland, WA: niece, Shelly Porter, and husband, Torben Larsen of Copenhagen, Denmark; niece, Melissa Monroe of Tacoma, WA; grand-nephew and grand-niece, Kade and Kylie Powell of Kennewick, WA; and grand-nephew, Ashton Porter Larsen of Copenhagen, Denmark. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the UW Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, UW Medicine Advancement, c/o Gift Processing, PO Box 358045, Seattle, WA 98195-8045 (www.depts.washington.edu.mbwc.adrc/), in memory of David's mother, Margaret Hunstein. Also, memorial contributions may be made to Country Christian Center, 5500 W Sagemoor Rd, Pasco, WA 99301. A memorial service will be held for David on Sunday, March 25th at 2:30pm at Mueller's Chapel of the Falls, 314 W 1st Ave, Kennewick, WA 99336.