Yuma County, Colorado Photographs

Yuma County Pioneers:

William Tuomey Diss

 William "Bill" Tuomey Diss, age 86, passed away October 2, 2014. Bill was born in Wray, Colorado on September 28, 1928 to William Tuomey Diss, Sr. and Eleanor Walker Diss. He attended Wray Grade School and High School, and was valedictorian. He was student manager for the high school band, and the football, basketball, and track teams. He attended Regis College in Denver where he was chairman of the Student Government Commission and graduated summa cum laude in 1950. During his college summers, Bill worked as a timekeeper for Burlington Railroad Track Gangs in Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Bill was drafted into the U.S. Army and graduated from the Anti-Aircraft and Guided Missile Officer Candidate School, the Medical Field Service School, the Command and General Staff College, and the Judge Advocate General's Corps. He was Comptroller in the 97th General Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany. He remained in the U.S. Army Reserve and completed his service as Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Army and Finance and Accounting Center, retiring as an O6 - full Colonel. He was a Military Academy Liaison officer in Denver and an honorary member of the Denver West Point Society. Returning to Denver in 1954, Bill attended the University of Denver Law School, graduating in 1959. He was an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Law School, as well as co-founder of the University of Denver Graduate Tax Program. Bill was a partner at Ernst & Young, working in the Denver and Washington, D.C. offices. He also became a partner at Sherman & Howard in Denver and was a consulting attorney at Marrs, Sevier & Company. In 1967, Bill was President of the Colorado Society of CPAs. He co-founded the Denver Estate Planning Council. He spoke at tax institutes and various state society annual meetings. He was also a member of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy and Chairman of the AICPA Estate and Gift Tax Committee. He was a member of the American, Federal, Colorado, and Denver Bar Associations. He was a member of the IRS Commissioner Advisory Group, Denver Rotary Club, University Club, Denver Country Club, Denver Athletic Club, and Army-Navy Club, Washington, D.C. Bill's honors included: the American Institute of CPAs Arthur Dixon Award, the University of Denver John Evans Award, and the Regis University Professional Achievement Award. He was a member of St. Francis de Sales Church in Denver and a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Bill is survived by his wife of 62 years, Minnie Ann (O'Dorisio) Diss and children Martha Sundby, Theresa (Fred) Greis, William C. (Cathy) Diss, John (Lisa) Diss, Lucy (David) Ewing, Fred (Annette) Diss, Beth (Steve) Robertson, Catherine (John) Gordon, Sarah (Guy) Warren, 28 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter Eleanor Diss Sabin, M.D., and his brothers John O'Connor Diss and Charles Edward Diss. Visitation 4-7 PM Tuesday, October 7 and Rosary at 7 PM both at Horan & McConaty, 1091 S. Colorado Blvd. (at Mississippi), Denver. Funeral Mass 10 AM Wednesday, October 8 St. Francis de Sales Church, 300 S. Sherman St. (at Alameda), Denver. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: The Bill Diss Tax Law Studies Fund, University of Denver, 2255 E. Evans Ave., Denver, 80208; Regis University, 3333 Regis Blvd, B-16, Denver, 80221 for a scholarship in his name; Rocky Mountain Children's Health Foundation, 2055 High St. Suite 240, Denver 80205 in memory of Eleanor Diss Sabin, MD. -

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