Cecelia Dieterich

Cecelia Agnes Dieterich (nee McCormick) of Hagerstown, Maryland, passed away peacefully at St. Catherine’s Nursing Center, Emmitsburg, MD on Oct. 9th 2015, after suffering a stroke one week earlier on her 102nd birthday.

Cecelia, matriarch of the McCormick clan, known as ‘Aunt Cis’ to her family, or simply Cis to her friends, was born in Baltimore on Oct. 2nd, 1913. She was the fifth-born and sole survivor of eight children born to Peter J. and Nora Lynch McCormick, who endowed her with a strong Irish-Catholic identity and deep commitment to her faith and family. From the age of two, she lived most of her long life in Hagerstown.

Between 1937 and 1962, she and her sister Margaret were the successful proprietors of McCormick’s Fashion Shop in downtown Hagerstown, up until the time of Margaret’s death. Cecelia married Robert Edgar (‘Bob’) Dieterich in the summer of 1956. A World War 2 veteran who made a career at Fairchild Aircraft, he died suddenly on Christmas Eve 1984. Although she had no children of her own, Cecilia was very close to her nephews Terry, Tom, Mike, Neil, Tim and Donald, her niece Cecelia and all their children and grandchildren.

Cecelia’s own health declined and in 2007 she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and shortly afterwards entered St. Catherine’s Nursing Center in Emmitsburg. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Hydes, MD, north of Baltimore, on Saturday October 17th at 10:30 AM followed by internment next to her husband in the parish cemetery.

Arrangements are by Stauffer Funeral Home, Frederick. Online condolences may be expressed at staufferfuneralhome.com