Developer • Friend • Colleague • Mentor • Teacher
Mover & Shaker • Empath • Confidant • Artist
Those of you who had the pleasure of knowing Ethan Diehl recognize that his untimely passing has a profound personal and professional impact on TRecs, FAS, the Campus Community, and the University as a whole.
Ethan was a meticulous software programmer/developer who approached every task with a great attitude, never shied away from difficult or boring tasks, and could always be counted on to deliver the right solution. Some of Ethan’s countless technical contributions to the University include direct support of HR technology systems/operations and the UT Systems benefits system. He may have been single-handedly responsible for ensuring that all of us have been able to renew our benefits for the last 15 years. Ethan was heavily involved in the WorkDay transition, the University’s primary technical resource for batch processing, and was a master at mainframe programming, which is critical for continuity of UT’s legacy systems. He had vast institutional knowledge of IT at UT and was relied on by the campus IT community to de-mystify tools and processes.
Some of you may not know that Ethan was a talented artist who used a pointillism-like technique with oil on canvas to recreate photographs into unique and realistic pieces of art. He was a huge sports fan who loved football and baseball and would often fondly reminisce about his ballpark visits. He enjoyed fantasy football, was an avid poker player, and loved his dogs, Harry Potter, bus ride conversations, and spicy food.
Ethan was known by his friends, colleagues, and teammates as engaging, inclusive, reliable, generous, and kind. He could have meaningful interactions with complete strangers that resulted in long-term, real, and honest friendships. Ethan had a huge heart, never spoke poorly of anyone, and was thoughtful and warm to everyone. His capacity for compassion and care is rarely experienced, and he is missed.
Sue Stewart