Robert Dieter Hugill

Robert Dieter Hugill was born to Robert L. and Daisy J. Hugill right after Christmas in 1962. He was their bonus gift that year and what an absolutely adorable baby he was! For the next 58 years, Dieter made it his quest to live the most eclectic, crazy, jaw-dropping, balls-to-the-wall, jam-packed life he could muster. (Hey, we Hugills don't do anything half-ass!) Dieter grew up with his younger sister, Stacy, in Lakewood, Washington. They both attended Idelwild Elementary, Hudtloff Junior High ( it will ALWAYS be called that to us old-schoolers ), and Lakes High School (He graduated class of 1981.) Right from the beginning, Dieter was a ladies man. So many of the girls throughout his school days (K<--yes! thru 12 & beyond) had crushes on him. How could they not? That soft brown, feathered hair, steely blue eyes, and God forbid he flash that big, pearly white, mischievous grin! ((insert audible swoon)) To say he was a gifted athlete is simply an understatement, talented beyond measure in whatever sport he played. And he played them all! But it was when his dad, Bob, created the ground-breaking Lakewood Youth Athletic Association in the 1970's and established The Lakewood Lions & Lakewood Lumberjacks, that he found a passion for football. As a matter of fact, Dieter was the organization's FIRST official football player and Stacy the first cheerleader! (Check out the the newspaper ad and team photos below!) Over the years, though, there was one sport that gave him absolute, never-ending joy-- Baseball. He could have easily gone pro as a catcher and was actually scouted heavily from high school and on to his time at Pacific Lutheran University. Ultimately, he chose the teaching path via City University for a Masters Degree in Education and falling for a brown-eyed beauty named Amy. Though they later divorced, they created the most beautiful baby girl, Ariel, who was his greatest gift. (Read some of her own memories about her dad below.) Though there were many changes over the years, Baseball remained a huge part through his entire life. Regardless if he was 7, 27, or 57, he could be seen getting out one of his MANY gloves, and fastidiously tending to them with oil, sealing a ball in the palm, and wrapping them with belts then leaving them to cure. Always in search of a better bat, or every piece of catcher's gear and uniforms five times over, the hunt was an obsession for him. Oh the joy when he found yet another item to add to his monumental collection! We would chuckle and shake our heads as he'd try on every piece--and I mean, shin guards, the mask, the cleats, the whole 9yards--and out he'd go to the driveway, in between cars if he had to. We could almost hear his 50 year old knees snap, cracklin' and poppin' all the way in the house as he squatted to assume that familiar catcher's position. Repeatedly, he'd pound his right fist into the palm of a new glove, tuck his left hand under his knee, and get ready for an unseen pitcher's most gnarly knuckle ball. He'd shout and ready his "teammates" on the concrete "diamond", and after a tense count, he'd pop up (ouch that hurt!) and faux-throw out some stupid bastard who had the balls to run on him. NOBODY could out-run Dieter's arm! (We always felt like we should be cheering when we watched the saga unfold from the window.) Too many times people lose passion for things, people, events, life in general, but Dieter NEVER lost his for baseball. A blessing indeed. So many lessons he'd learned from sports, his family, his education, and to funnel that knowledge and grit on to his students and players meant the world to him. Leading, teaching, coaching, and mentoring at Mt. Tahoma High School was by far some of the best times in his life. We are continually amazed at how many people have shared such heart-warming stories about how he'd touched their young lives, their hearts, and often their very souls. We hope that some of those stories will find a voice again in the memories on this page below. Please share them... Dieter's compassion and empathy touched so many over the decades and not just the youth in his charge. Many of you know his dad, Bob, became brain-damaged and physically disabled at the age of 35, impacting the entire family immensely. Losing so much of what his dad knew and loved, Dieter tried to get Bob out fishing or hunting here and there, even though it was a major feat to get it done. Not many adult sons would literally schlep their disabled father on their back for miles, deep into the Mountains to hunt... quite a labor of love. The second half of Dieter's life was filled with another love-- his love of waiting tables, believe it or not! It can easily be said that he was by far one of the best servers in the entire area and truly must have worked at every restaurant in Steilacoom, Lakewood, University Place, and Tacoma over the decades. He was just at home serving mom and pop joints as navigating big conventions like the Tacoma Dome, but it was the fine dining establishments where he really shined: De Krone, Rolands, The Lakewood Terrace, Stanley & Seaforts, Shenanigans, Anthonys, The Melting Pot, and more. It's no joke to say that he ran circles around most of his co-workers, too! It was nothing for him to demonstrate his skill of Bananas Foster table-side, recommend a plethora of wine selections for Steak Diane or Roasted Duck, all the while taking on 3 or 4 sections to the other servers 1. Seamlessly. He was crazy good! Spending such a significant time in the restaurant industry gave him the opportunity to befriend many stellar chefs and devour tips and techniques they'd show him. An absolute sponge, Dieter became a phenomenal chef in his own rite, able to cook almost ANY menu easily: Shrimp Stuffed Lobster, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Blackened Chicken, King Crab Legs with drawn Garlic Butter, Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon, or a hearty Miners Hash! Without a doubt, he LOVED, loved, loved to cook. ( Now...those of us left to clean up that god-awful mess afterward was a totally different matter! But, some things were worth it. All splatters, puddles, and dishes be damned.) Well, you can see we could go on and on about Dieter. He packed in a lot of living in his short 58 years and now it's your turn to showcase who he was in YOUR lives. If you have pictures ( not THOSE kind! ) or funny diddies, or sweeping life-changing moments, we would love to be a part of your memories, too. Thank you to all of you who took the time to read through this bio, to visit the photo galleries, and to send your well-wishes our way, but most of all, thank you for loving Robert Dieter Hugill. He was an original. Stacy Hugill Medina (Sister)