Richard M. "Rick" Diamond's Obituary
Richard M. Diamond, known affectionately by those close to him as “Rick,” passed away today surrounded by his loved ones. His sudden passing came as a tremendous shock as Rick was the picture of good health and vitality up until the day he died.Born in Newark, NJ on March 24, 1927 to Molly and Herbert (Dick) Diamond, Rick is survived by his wife of 56 years, Nancy Diamond n??e Schatz, , and by his 3 children, Lisa Stein (Mark), Julie Diamond(Caroline) and Michael Diamond (Nina), and by 5 grandchildren, Max, Sophie, Allie, Vickie and Nicholas.After serving in the Navy during WWII, Rick graduated from Cornell University in 1950. Soon thereafter he begin a career in the newspaper business that spanned 40 years. He founded an award winning weekly newspaper, the Trumbull Times, in Trumbull, Connecticut, and then soon after, another weekly in neighboring Monroe, Connecticut. His company soon expanded to include a successful printing company, Trumbull Printing. Rick’s passion was politics, though, and in 1968 he began to write a weekly political column, The Connecticut Spotlight, which was eventually syndicated by 27, or half of the dailies and weeklies across Connecticut. Through his column, Rick broke some important stories and made an impact in state politics.In 1980, Rick and Nancy, after the sale of the newspaper and printing business to the Milwaukee Journal Company, moved to Fort Myers, FL to “retire”. The next 33 years were the happiest of Rick’s life as two of his three children and their families relocated as well to to Southwest Florida and he and Nan witnessed the birth of their 5 grandchildren. Rick became immersed in Southwest Florida politics and community organizations. Never having lost his love for the newspaper business, Rick became a frequent contributor to the Fort Myers News-Press as a guest columnist, addressing a host of national and local issues that he argued so passionately for. Rick was also President of the Lee County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, active in the Jewish Federation of Lee and Charlotte Counties, and past Chairman of the Lee Charter Commission, appointed by the Board of County Commissioners.Rick was a generous and selfless man who thought first about others before himself. He was proud of his children and grandchildren and was above all else a devoted husband to his wife Nan whom he loved more than anything in this world. Funeral services will be held Thursday, December 26, 2013 at Temple Beth El, 16225 Winkler Rd., Fort Myers, FL 33908. Burial will follow in Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 1589 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, Florida 33907. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.fortmyersmemorial.com.
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