Dieter S. Domski

Our world has lost a soldier as SGM (Ret.) Dieter S. Domski, aged 79, found peace with the Lord on 5 October 2018. Dieter was born in Fuerth, Germany on 9 October 1938 and lived there until November 1958, when he left for the United States. Sponsored by his sister and brother-in-law, Erika and Gerald Pinault, Dieter first settled in Ft. Benning, Georgia. Three years later, in 1961, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and completed his basic training at Ft. Jaffey, Arkansas. He went on to serve two tours in Vietnam, first from 1968 to 1969 and then from 1970 to 1971. During his first tour, Dieter earned the Bronze Star. He earned four additional commendation medals while in the Army. After leaving Vietnam in 1971, Dieter was at times stationed in Nuernberg, Germany and Fort Drum, NY, but he spent most of his Army career at Ft. Dix, NJ, where he was stationed from 1965 to 1967, from 1972 to 1974, and then again from 1977 to 1984. It was at Ft. Dix, in 1984, that Dieter was promoted to Sargent Major (E-9). After his 24 years of service to the U.S. Army, Dieter worked for 20 years as the Food Service Supervisor for the Woodbridge Developmental Center in Woodbridge, NJ. He was hired in March 1986 and worked his last day for the State of New Jersey on 27 December 2006. During his second tour in Vietnam, Dieter regularly delivered leftover food from his mess hall to the orphanage in Tam Ky. It was there, in February 1971, that he met Thuan Ly Pham. Less than a year later, on 8 January 1972, Dieter and Thuan were married in Brockton, Massachusetts. They welcomed their first daughter, Ann, in 1973, and their second daughter, Mary, was born in 1975. Dieter and Thuan have called Browns Mills, NJ their home for over 40 years of their 46–year marriage, and they have been active members of the Ft. Dix Main Post Chapel since 1977. At the Chapel, Dieter regularly served as an usher, and regularly coordinated (and was sometimes the head cook for) Protestant Congregation luncheons, potluck dinners, barbeques, Easter Sunrise Services, and many other events. For several years, he was also the Vice President of the Protestant Congregation. Dieter lived a full and storied life, and he lived every moment of it with heart. He had a laugh that was unmistakable and a love of soccer that was unending. He also lived as a soldier – with a dedication to service that never wavered and with a fierce commitment to getting done any job he had to do. But of all of the jobs he had, and of all of the titles he held, he was most proud of being Honey to Thuan, Dad to Ann and Mary, and Opa to his grandson, Jackson. They miss him dearly, and know that many others will as well. Before his passing, Dieter had mourned the loss of his beloved parents and sister – Paul Severin Domski (1912-1943), Christiana (Mertel) Domski (1900-1999), and Erika L. Pinault (1932-1994) –, his brother-in-law Gerald Pinault (1932-2013), and his uncle Alfred Wenzel. Now left to remember Dieter are: Thuan, Ann, Mary, and Jackson; his life-long friend Heinz Wiesner of Fuerth, Germany; his son-in-law John Black; his niece Helga (and John) Allen of Taunton, MA; his brother-in-law An (and Ha) Pham of Atlanta, GA; his nephew and niece, Binh and Thailan (and Victor) Pham; his nephews in Philadelphia, Phuoc (and Ha) Pham and Toan (and Uyen) Pham; his nephew Tien (and Tao) Pham of Toronto; and his cherished friends the Dang family in Akron, OH. Dieter also leaves behind several extended family members in Vietnam, as well as many friends from Browns Mills, the Ft. Dix Chapel, and around the country. Dieter’s family is thankful for the outpouring of love and support from family and friends. They are mourning a great loss, but they take solace in knowing that their grief cannot outlast the many gifts that Dieter has given. The Lord assures us that comfort will come, at the proper time, at the proper place, when we are able to turn away from our sorrow and “look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (II Corinthians 4:18). Relatives and friends may attend his viewing on Tuesday, October 9 from 5-7 PM at Perinchief Chapels, 438 High St., Mt. Holly. and Wednesday, October 10 from 10-11 AM at the Dix Chapel, 5240 New Jersey Ave., Fort Dix, NJ. Funeral services will be at 11 AM at the Dix Chapel. Interment will be held at 12:30 PM at Brig. Gen. Wm. C. Doyle Veterans Cemetery, Wrightstown. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent in Dieter’s memory to Vietnam Veterans of America (https://vva.org).

Dieter S. Domski

October 9, 1938 - October 5, 2018