- Men's rowing coach at Western from 1970 to 1976
- Coached varsity four which placed fourth in finals at 1973 Intercollegiate
Rowing Association Championships
- Directed varsity eight to four LaFromboise Cup (northwest small college) titles
- Coached two Olympic rowers - Chuck Rutherford and Darrell Vruegdenhil
- Introduced WWU Invitational Regatta which continued for 13 years
- Coached Western in school's first appearance at Opening Day Regatta
- Rowed collegiately at University of Washington (1958-60)
- Won gold medals in masters rowing at U.S. National, Canadian National and World Master Games
Beloved Bellingham businessman and WWU Hall of Famer Bob Diehl dies at 84
Robert “Bob” Diehl, a community conscious Bellingham businessman, who was a life-long rower and a member of the Western Washington University Athletics Hall of Fame, died on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024, from an apparent heart attack. He was 84. He was born in Bellingham, Wash., in 1939 to Robert H. Diehl, and Lillian E. (Bennerstrom) Diehl.
Diehl was the third-generation president of the Diehl Ford Company in Bellingham, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2008. At the time, it was the third-oldest Ford dealership in the world among 20,000 dealerships in 59 countries.
In 2004, Diehl received the Whatcom County Business Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2007 he was named “Dealer of the Year” by the Washington State Auto Dealers Association.
Diehl, who coached men’s rowing at Western from 1970 to 1976, was a 2003 inductee into WWU Athletics Hall of Fame. Two of his rowers, Chuck Rutherford and Darrell Vreugdenhil, went on to compete in the Olympic Games.
During his coaching tenure with the Vikings, Diehl began the WWU Invitational Regatta, which brought virtually every rowing program in the northwest to Lake Whatcom for a span of 13 years.
It was under Diehl that Western made its first appearance at the prestigious Opening Day Regatta in 1973. His varsity eights won LaFromboise Cup (northwest small college) titles in 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975. Also, in 1973, Diehl’s varsity four placed fourth at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) championships. Later, he had an eight-oared shell named in his honor.
A 1957 graduate of Bellingham High School (ASB Vice President), Diehl attended the University of Washington where he rowed for the Huskies for three years (1958-60). His first coach at Montlake Cut was Al Ulbrickson of “Boys in the Boat” fame, who coached the Huskies to a gold medal at the 1936 Olympic Games.
Diehl earned his bachelor’s degree in 1961at the UW in business administration. He then completed a tour of duty in the army before returning to Bellingham.
Diehl resumed rowing competitively in 1992, winning several medals in masters singles, doubles and quads competition. Highlighting those accomplishments were gold medals at the 1993, 1995 and 1997 U.S. National and Canadian National championships. He won a gold and two bronze medals at the 1994 World Master Games in Australia, and took silver and bronze medals at the 1998 World Master Games held in Portland, Ore.
After retiring from his car dealership, Diehl realized his dream of creating a community rowing program for Whatcom County, founding and working with the Whatcom Rowing Association, a nonprofit, community-based rowing club dedicated to offering individuals of all ages the opportunity to learn the sport of rowing in a safe, fun and beautiful environment.
Just five years after starting the WRA, Diehl had a boathouse completed at Bloedel Donovan Park, that was later named in his honor.
A past president of the Bellingham Rotary Club, Diehl twice received Paul Harris Fellow recognition. and in the summer of 2010, he summited Mount Baker with fellow Rotarians.
Diehl was a member of Board of Directors for St. Luke’s/St. Joseph’s Hospital from 1982 to 2006. He also served on the Mount Baker Council, YMCA President, Director of the Horizon Bank Board, The Western Foundation, Western’s Presidents Club and was involved in the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and DARE program. Diehl served 54 years on the Mount Baker Recreation board and had a ski run named in his honor: "Diehl's Run" off of chair 5.
Sailing was another huge part of Diehl’s identity. Having competed in the Van Isle 360 five times, he was often heard saying "fun first, racing second." Over the decades, Diehl spent countless recreational weeks sailing in the San Juans and Canadian Gulf Islands.
Diehl is survived by his wife of 47 years, Conni, and by his son from a previous marriage, Mike (wife Tracy) and four grandchildren, Sam, Max (wife Lauren), Gus, and Delaney, great-granddaughter, Jovi, sister, Carolyn (husband Jim), and many loving relatives and friends.
Grandson Gus was a standout soccer midfielder at Western from 2018 to 2022, being a four-time conference academic all-star.
