Chamber honored Diener

Twenty-five years ago this week, Dunkirk paid tribute to one of its longtime civic leaders.

The April 18, 1996, edition of The Commercial Review featured coverage of Dunkirk Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner, which included honoring Al Diener.

A crowd of about 100 came to honor Diener, who had recently moved to Westminster Retirement Village in Muncie with his wife, Aurelia.

Diener had a long record of service in Dunkirk and Jay County, including as a member of Jay County Council and board member for Jay County Development Corporation. He had worked at Hart, Armstrong-Cork and Kerr Glass, eventually becoming its assistant plant manager.

“Warm, considerate, caring, very friendly, fiscally conservative, yet a giving person,” said master of ceremonies Robert Wyne, describing Diener.

He noted that Diener was one of the first to jump on board with the idea that Dunkirk and Portland should work together for the overall betterment of Jay County.

He is “just a very, very considerate and wonderful man,” said Wyne.

He had humorous stories about his friend as well.

“Al’s only landscaping failure came when he tried to coax ivy to grow on the side of his home,” Wyne said. “Only after several trips to a skin doctor did her realize that he was cultivating poison ivy.”

Jay School Corporation administrator Sam Shoemaker described Diener as someone who “led by example in a forceful way.”

Jodell Frazier presented Diener with a letter opener from those who worked with him over the years in the glass factory.

The evening ended with a standing ovation.