Hugh Charles Diener

Hugh Charles Diener, a lion of a man with a true Viking spirit, passed away and entered Valhallaon July 24, 2024 at the age of 81. He leaves behind a loving wife and son, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. He will also be missed by many great friends and a horde of fellow Idaho Vandal fans.

Hugh was born one-thousand years too late, on January 23, 1943 in Newport, Washington to Henry J. Diener and Ruth Diener (Danielson). Though he regretted missing the Age of the Vikings, Hugh took to 20 th century life in the Pacific Northwest extremely well. He grew up in Weiser, Idaho and then Payette, Idaho, graduating from Payette High School and eventually from the University of Idaho after a stint in the United States Army.

Hugh married his high school and college sweetheart, Barbara J. Diener (Brogan), on January 30, 1966. They spent time in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and loved it, but later relocated to Boise, where Hugh worked for Idaho First National Bank as its Vice President of Marketing. In 1980, Hugh and his family moved back to Payette where he formed the McCarroll-Diener Insurance Agency. Hugh would continue to work in insurance, eventually co-founding Three Rivers Insurance Agency, which still prospers throughout the Treasure Valley today. In 2005, Hugh and Barbara retired to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where they happily resided until his death.

Hugh was extremely active as an alumnus of the University of Idaho and was the most avid of Vandal fans. Hugh was also proud of his membership in the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and dedicated significant time to revitalizing the chapter house. In addition, Hugh was very proud of his Viking heritage, and was known to recite Viking lore (solicited and unsolicited). But if you remember only one thing about him, let it be that Hugh was an incredibly generous man who always put his family first.

Hugh is survived by his wife, Barbara, his son, JP., his daughter-in-law Kathy, and his grandchildren, Maliq and Kazmira. At his request, there will be no services. If anyone is so inclined, Hugh would appreciate a donation in his name to the Vandal Scholarship Fund (https://www.uidaho.edu/giving/athletics/vsf).