Kim Dietrich

Chef Jon Hill:
Chef Jon Hill remembers Kim as a mentor and a great humanitarian.

I was 5 1/2 years as Chef Decorator/Tournaunt and then Sous Chef for Chef Dietrich. I accepted the offer to work for Chef Dietrich with Hermann Rusch’s blessings, as I just completed my Greenbrier Culinary Apprenticeship. I was the first culinarian to be traded within the R.F.E.C. culinary exchange program. Chef Dietrich was my mentor for 5 ½ years at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in Kamuela, Hawaii.

Chef Dietrich was of great intellect and was a person with insight of the future of our resort industry. Chef believed all cooks were ladies and gentlemen, and he lived by these ideals. Chef Dietrich was calm under pressure, witty under fire, and always the leader of his culinary team.

Chef Dietrich could spell and speak in English, German, and some French. Chef had a vocabulary beyond any professor I have met or worked with. He could have written a book on world history. He loved to converse about current events, food trends and politics. He was also a huge book reader and he could do math and percentages in his head like a calculator.

Many years later our paths crossed again in Phoenix, where we both lived. I was the Executive Chef at the five-star Wigwam Resort between 1992-2002. Kim owned his own company “Gourmet Foods” he was the best purveyor I ever worked with, he had many quality products and would always special deliver our orders.

The Dietrich’s had many meals at our home with my wife Sandy and daughter Jane. We truly loved the Dietrich’s and we miss Kim and Pat immensely.

Prof. Jon Hill, M.Ed., C.E.C.
Past RFEC President

Chef Beat Giger:

Beat Giger of Pebble Beach remembers Kim as a great chef, mentor and true professional.

"I am thankful for Kim's guidance and leadership and will always remember him with highest respect."

"He will be in my heart forever."

Beat Giger, C.E.C., A.A.C.
Director of Special Events / Corporate Chef
Pebble Beach Resorts

Chef Brent Wertz:

Kim gave this leadership advice to Brent Wertz of Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, "strong leadership is hard to find and harder to keep, mostly because today's leaders are praised for their forward thinking and ability to evolve a company or cause."

"True leadership also values its beginning, learns from experience and never forgets the past while mentoring the future."

Brent Wertz, C.E.C., A.A.C.
Past RFEC President

Chef Rhys Lewis

"I looked up to him and listened to his advice."

"Good men are meant to be missed, Kim Dietrich will be missed".

Rhys Lewis
Executive Chef
Woodstock Inn

Chef Todd Rogers

Remembering his first RFEC meeting.

"I was taken by the humble greeting and surprised at the camaraderie and genuine friendly environment of all these talented Chefs in what could have been a huge ego clash of the titans." Kim represented and stood for the character of the chef and a true professional of an RFEC chef.

Todd Rogers
Past RFEC President
Corporate Executive Chef
St. Joe Club and Resorts

Chef Peter Pahk:

As I sit writing this at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, the memory of Kim lives on through emloyees touched by Kim and Pat's aloha, friendship and leadership. They remember him as a chef who loved to give young cooks an opportunity to grow and challenge themselves in new positions in his brigade.

As I was speaking to Pat on the phone, she asked me if Birdie still worked there as she had no number for her. Birdie is still in room service and it was a pleasure to connect them together after all these years. It was like yesterday for them.. touching.

My relationship with Kim was cool because as I was a "mainland" boy we could start talking pidgeon and reminisce about the days in Hawaii. He was a joy to be around and always reminded me of the classic days of cheffing.. I was a high school runt when Kim was executive chef here at Mauna Kea... he was cheffing when my career as a chef wasn't even on the horizon... lots to admire and emulate.

It was great to hang out with the "old men" at our RFEC conferences and talk story.

Kim, may you rest in peace and may your ashes bless the land and sea where they will be scattered... aloha ka kou!!

Peter Pahk
Past RFEC President