Richard Hoffman Van Thiel

   Richard Van Thiel was born on June 25, 1942, and raised in Baldwin Park, California where he attended Catholic school with his brother and sister. He graduated from Catholic school and attended some college. In 1965, he was drafted in the US Army where he volunteered to become a Chaplain's assistant. He was stationed at Oakland Army Base in Oakland, CA.
After leaving the army, he started working at Prudential Insurance where he met his wife, Diana.  Richard and Diana got married on April 4, 1970. Richard adored his wife; Diana and they were married for 54 years. 
    Richard and Diana had two children, Craig and Wendy along with several dogs and cats which they also treated like their children. Richard began working as a pharmaceutical representative which required him to be on the road often.  While he was on the road, Richard and Diana worked as a team to raise their children and made many personal sacrifices to ensure that their children received the best opportunities.  Richard also volunteered as an assistant coach in many Little League sports and was Head Cub Scout Master. Richard worked his way up to District Manager for the pharmaceutical company before retiring. He bravely went back to college later in life and received a degree in Accounting from Cal State San Marcos in 2004. During his second career as an accountant, he worked for the government before he retired again in 2017.
    After he retired, Richard took cruises to the British Isles and the Caribbean with his wife, son, and daughter-in-law. At age 80, Richard finally took the family trip that he had looked forward to for years. The whole family went on “AAA’s Railway to Grand Canyon".  He loved trains but more importantly he loved the fact that the whole family went on the trip together. Richard loved his family and his children, and their accomplishments were his pride and joy. He was also a devout Catholic and believed in treating others with empathy and compassion. He was a big man with an even bigger heart. 
     Richard passed away 2 years later on June 18, 2024, one week shy of his 82nd birthday.  He is survived by his wife Diana Van Thiel, his son Craig Van Thiel, his wife Elizabeth Van Thiel, his daughter Wendy Van Thiel, her wife Alicia Stanco and their pets.  His funeral service is on 7/11/24 at 11am at St. Peter the Apostle Parish at 450 S Stagecoach Lane Fallbrook, California 92028.
     In lieu of flowers please send donations to Fallbrook Food Pantry, San Diego County Humane Society, or Helen Woodward Animal Shelter.

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