September 7, 1928 – June 21, 2020
George Dietz was born in St. Petersburg, Florida. An Eagle Scout, Dietz attended the University of Florida, earning his law degree in 1951 with highest honors. He served in the Korean War as a JAG officer in the Marine Corps before joining Williams Parker in 1955. Dietz was the firm’s third associate, hired through the design of his best friend, Bill Harrison. Harrison managed to arrange an impromptu dinner in Tampa with Dietz and firm partner Arthur Bell. Bell was a famous imbiber; the dinner ended with Bell’s hiring Dietz on Harrison’s recommendation. Dietz was an immediate success and quickly became one of the firm’s luminaries. He was named partner in 1958.
Dietz specialized in real estate law, especially real estate development and land use. His frequent advocacy for developer clients before city and county commissions was exceptional. He was instrumental in the acquisition, rezoning, and development of The Meadows by Taylor Woodrow and Arvida projects on Longboat Key, including Bay Isles and Longboat Key Club.
In the early 1980s, Dietz began working with Dr. Kay Glasser on the formation of a nonprofit to acquire land and construct offices that could be leased at low rent to various charitable organizations. His pro bono work on this project, eventually known as the Glasser-Schoenbaum Human Services Center, lasted nearly 20 years. He served on the firm’s Executive Committee, the precursor to today’s Management Committee.
Dietz and his wife, Fran, were married 57 years and had two children. As a member of First United Methodist Church of Sarasota, Dietz served as both usher and legal counsel for 40 years. Dietz was elected president of the Greater Sarasota County Chamber of Commerce and the Sarasota County Bar Association. He was a founder of the United Way Foundation and served on the boards of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Sarasota and Hospice of Southwest Florida. In the 1980s, he served 4 years as a member of the Florida Bar Board of Governors. For more than 35 years, he was a trustee of the Sarasota County Law Library. He was also a Shriner and a member of Kiwanis.
More about George’s life and accomplishments can be read in his obituary.