Josette Dietrich, a longtime resident of La Cañada Flintridge, passed away on Jan. 2. She had recently celebrated her 95th birthday, surrounded by her adoring family.
Josette was born and raised in Zurich, Switzerland. When she was 26 years old, she moved to the United States to follow the love of her life, who was working in San Francisco. Ten years later, they relocated to LCF, where they planted their roots and raised their three children.
Josette had a zest for life and personal charm that was magnetic. She was always singing, dancing, laughing and living life to the fullest. She loved family parties and eating good food with good company. She was always up for a deep, meaningful talk with you and wanted to know all about your life at that moment. She loved to share her wisdom so that you could benefit from it, too. She jokingly called it her “unsolicited advice.” We called it her “pearls of wisdom”.
“A true Swiss girl,” she called herself. She loved yodeling, Swiss chocolate, Swiss fondue, Ricolas, nature, hiking and skiing, both downhill and cross-country. Her love of the outdoors and hiking began in Switzerland climbing the Swiss Alps. She went on to climb many other mountains during her many travels. Her travels not only took her to Europe but to Egypt, Istanbul, Alaska, Hawaii and all throughout the United States. In Southern California, she belonged to the Sierra Club and hiked locally with her friends. Her two greatest accomplishments were climbing Mount Whitney at age 45 and walking from the Irish Sea to the North Sea at age 70.
Josette’s love for books started when she was a little girl. Her mother would always find her reading a book instead of doing her chores. It was no surprise that her first job in Zurich was in a bookstore and her last job was in Pasadena City College’s bookstore. Also, Josette spoke four languages: High German, Swiss German, French and English. This helped her throughout her career, as she translated letters for her employers.
Another one of Josette’s passions was music. After retiring, she moved to Camarillo and resided in Leisure Village for 30 years. She became president of their Music Appreciation Club and enjoyed sharing her love of classical music. Besides her love of music, she loved to dance, always encouraging others to join her.
The Church of Spiritual Living was an important part of her life for 46 years. She first attended the Dunsmore Avenue Church and then joined the Center for Spiritual Living in Camarillo.
The past two years she resided at the Fair Oaks Regency Park in Pasadena and was kept very busy with the family’s local activities. She especially loved visits to her favorite place, Descanso Gardens. We will cherish the many happy memories and special times we have shared with her.
Our matriarch, Josette, will be deeply missed by her daughter Beatrice (Bart); her two sons Laurence (Pauline) and Andre; her six grandchildren Heidi, Kasey, Amanda, Evan, Blake and Tanner; and her four great-grandchildren Taylor, Brady, Aubrey and Brett. She will forever be remembered for her pearls of wisdom that she imparted to all those she loved.
