Following is the eulogy read by Eric Endryas during the ceremony:

Charles William Diehl's "Last Call"

"It is both an Honor and a Privilege for me to stand before you here today as we pay our last respects to an individual known to each of us in our own special way.  To some of us Charles William Diehl was a Father, Uncle or Grandpop.  Others saw him as a leader, motivator, Service Veteran, Firefighter or just a good ole friend.  Quite a few of the people seated here today are fortunate to have known Bill in more than one of these roles.  Here in this service today, at the gravesite or in the privacy of our own homes tonight many will shed a tear for the loss of a person they held near and dear, but we would be selfish if we said we were hurt or troubled by his death. 

            Bill’s life involved more than just you and me.  While we may have shared a cherished and valuable part of his time here on Earth, the whole legacy that Bill leaves behind dwarfs our time with him.  Let’s take a step back and share Bill’s life together.  Bill Diehl enlisted in the Navy in 1947, served 5 years of “Active Duty” and 23 additional years in the Active Naval Reserves until his retirement in 1988 as a “Command Master Chief”.  During this time he chose to join the Rosedale Volunteer Fire Company to “better himself and serve the Community”.   

            Harry Sennett couldn’t have summed it up better, 43 ½ years ago when he stated that in his own mind Charles Diehl would be an asset to the Rosedale Volunteer Fire Company.  Harry must have had a crystal ball hidden in his locker when he wrote his recommendation because Bill would live up to that challenge of serving the Community.  During the next 43 ½ years as a member of the Rosedale Volunteer Fire Company, Bill held numerous positions of leadership and authority including Financial Secretary, Trustee, Lieutenant, Captain and President.  Up until his final months, while serving as an active Life Member, Bill was always taking tickets at the front door of our hall for events or stuck in that little booth selling food tickets at the annual Rosedale Volunteer Fire Company / St. Clement Carnival.  Although the years of active firefighting had passed and were only memories, Bill continued to serve with dedication and commitment. 

            As Harry also mentioned in the application letter, Bill was active in the Community by coaching 10-12 & 12-14 year old children during summer baseball.  Bill was an Active member of the local American Legion and a member and Officer in the Lion’s Club.  Quite often the most profound and beneficial acts for the Community often occur when two organizations come together to make a joint effort to benefit others.  Way back in the years when Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto, two fictional characters on the TV show “Emergency” were saving lives as “Paramedics” and introducing Emergency Medicine to the public, Bill Diehl, while serving as the President of the Rosedale Volunteer Fire Company and members of the local Lion’s Club joined together to implement “Advanced Life Support and Telemetry” for the Emergency Medical Services on Ambo 285 at Rosedale.  This monumental but little know fact allowed Rosedale to be one of the first Volunteer Ambulance services to provide Advanced Life Support to Rosedale and the surrounding communities. 

            On September 13th, 2003 Bill received his final “Thank you” for his dedicated service as a Fire Service Professional when he was inducted into the Baltimore County Volunteer Fireman’s Association’s “Hall of Fame” for his many years of service.

            This past Memorial Day, there was something missing.  Something that was noted by Bill’s family and friends.  It was the weeklong lack of emails about honor, respect and tribute to our Nation’s Armed Services.  While Bill always displayed an open dedication to the Fire Service, those that were on his email list knew about his tireless and intense commitment to the time he served in the Military.  Bill was always quick to defend the flag and to hold the honor of the Service Men and Women overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan with high regards. 

            Today, we should not sit here in sadness but in honor of a man that gave as much as he could and asked very little in return.  For his closest friends and family these last few months have been tough, tough because the icon we saw as a dedicated parent, Military Veteran, Firefighter or friend was fighting his final battle.  Those who knew him well could see that he was tired and exhausted from the fight and although we didn’t want to see it all end, we knew it needed to be over.  We could not ask anything more of Bill Diehl.  Over the years he has done it all, in his own way, at his own pace but he has accomplished more than most of us could ever hope to accomplish.  While Bill’s body is gone from our grasp his memories, achievements and love will be felt forever.

            Open the gates Lord above, Bill has made his last call, the BIG MAN IS COMING HOME!"