Joseph "Carl" Dille

J. Carl Dille, 79, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend returned to his heavenly home on March 1st, 2021, in Boise, Idaho. Carl was born on November 13, 1941, on the Dille farm in Wendell, Idaho. He was the second of 8 children of Joseph K. Dille and Emma Bernice Eldredge Dille. Carl loved his heritage. At his birth he became a 5th generation Idahoan, 10th generation Dille, and a 13th generation Eldredge in America.

Carl grew up on a dairy farm in Wendell. He loved working in the fields with his father. While caring for the calves and stacking 100-pound bales of hay, Carl developed one of his most defining traits – a strong work ethic. He excelled in school and athletics. His favorite memories were playing basketball, football, and going to school dances. Carl was a strong and fit farm boy with horn-rimmed glasses and a wry smile, after all.

He graduated with the Wendell Class of 1960. During his senior year another defining trait became clear, Carl was a man of his word. Both Ricks Junior College (Coach Ferron Sonderegger) and Boise Junior College (Coach Lyle Smith) offered him football and track scholarships. At the time, BJC had one of the best junior college football teams in America, but he had already accepted the Ricks’ offer. Instead of jumping ship, he stuck to his commitment and attended Ricks, majoring in engineering. The following year when BJC played Ricks and beat them handedly, was Carl cross? Probably. But he wouldn’t change a thing, because it is at Rick’s that Carl met the woman that would change his life forever, Glenna “LaNeice” Miller.

The young couple got married on June 12, 1962, in the Idaho Falls Temple. The two moved to Provo, Utah where Carl attended BYU, earning a Bachelor degree in Structural / Civil Engineering. For his graduation present, he and LaNeice bought a 1965 candy apple red Mustang and drove it back to “The Gem State,” taking the lowest paying job offer so he could stay in his beloved Idaho. After ten years of working for various engineering firms in the Boise area, Carl truly left his mark on the world when he became the field engineer on the new Perrine Bridge crossing the Snake River canyon, near Twin Falls. 1,500 feet long and one of the tallest in America, the Perrine Bridge is a lasting testament to what a farm boy from Wendell can do if he works hard.

Carl then took a job with the construction and engineering company, Morrison Knudsen, in Boise, where he worked for the next 38 years. He primarily worked on mining, industrial, and bridge structures, but Carl also spent much of his time in the Environmental Group as the design manager on several superfund cleanup sites. He retired in February 2014 at 72 years of age.

Carl and LaNeice have been married 58 years. If asked what his greatest achievement in life was it would be enthusiastically raising their five beautiful and amazing daughters: Devri, Erin, Dustin, Courtney, and Brook. Not to mention their fifteen grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Carl enjoyed taking the family on backpacking trips. He loved the high mountain meadows, streams, and lakes. He especially relished the view from the top of a mountain. In the fall, you could find him bugling elk and archery hunting. He made several adventure trips to Alaska, fishing the Ketchikan, Kodiak Island, and Tanana River. He was a master rose gardener. He compiled an encyclopedia on the beneficial use of dietary supplements. He coached church softball and basketball and loved playing handball and racquetball. He was an avid writer of personal and family stories. He was the family historian.

Carl was loyal, kind, gentle, thoughtful, generous, a soft-spoken storyteller with a wheezy, infectious laugh. He was a man of faith who served numerous callings in the Boise First Ward. He, “Never said a bad word about anyone, except for when it came to sports and politics.” He was a great listener and cheerleader who always showed up. He made everyone feel special. His philosophy on having a full life was to stay healthy, work hard, play hard, have a great love for learning, and make life an adventure to remember!

Carl leaves behind a great legacy; His wife LaNeice, Five Girls, 15 grandchildren (8 boys and 7 girls), two great-grandchildren. He is survived by his children: Devri Lane & David Weakley, Erin Jo & Dana Goff, Dustin Tyree & Anton Garrity, Courtney Day & Remi McManus, and Brook Branden & Chad New; Grandchildren: Ryan Scott & Lauren LeFranc, Dylan Weakley, Madison Lane & Hunter Haas, Jack Weakley, Brynn Weakley, Taylor Goff, Carly Jo Goff, Cooper Goff, Garrett Garrity, Trevor Garrity, Calista Garrity, Race McManus, Riggins McManus, Gideon New, and Savannah New; great-grandchildren: August Scott & Monroe Scott, and also survived by siblings: Verna & Jerry Medinas, Wanda & Jay Ney, Alice & Duane Nielsen, Val & Charlotte Dille, Lynn & Dea Dille, Clinton & Anna Dille; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and their families.

He is preceded in death by his Dille and Eldredge grandparents, parents, and sister Paula.
He will be in our hearts forever.

In light of current events, the funeral is for immediate family only. Details are listed below including link to the livestream of the service.

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