Longtime Coralville city attorney, the late Donald Diehl, was known for a few things: a pocket full of candy, his love for feeding the ducks at S.T. Morrison Park, a “cat-like quickness,” and his friendly attitude.
Most importantly, he provided the formidable legal expertise that helped guide dozens of councilmembers to grow Coralville from a village of a little more than 2,000 to a city of more than 20,000 during his roughly 63 years of service.
Diehl died at 94 on July 23 after battling cancer, according to his obituary. He is survived by his wife Shirley Diehl, his three children Kirsten Diehl, Stacey Diehl Smith, and BJ Diehl, and his two stepdaughters, Kathy Mallie and Kim Broulik.
Diehl was born in Boone, Iowa, in 1932 and later served in the U.S. Coast Guard. He used his GI benefits to attend the University of Iowa, where he earned an undergraduate degree and a law degree.
Diehl was a legal guide for dozens of Coralville council members
Over his more than 60-year tenure with the City of Coralville, Diehl provided legal guidance to more than 12 mayors and 30 city councilors.
Diehl was admitted to the Iowa Bar Association in 1960 and practiced in Coralville for 64 years before he retired in 2025.
He was appointed Coralville City Attorney on Jan. 2, 1962, when the town was only estimated to have a population of 2,357. By the time retirement hit, the town had grown to a population of over 23,000, according to U.S. Census data.
The city underwent massive growth during Diehl’s six decades. He provided legal guidance for the construction of a portion of Interstate 80, the expansion of city services, the construction of the Coral Ridge Mall, the redesign of the city center, the building of the Iowa River Landing, and the Xtreme Arena.
“I think his fingerprints are on a lot of things all over the city,” Terry Kaeding, the city’s retired finance director, told the Press-Citizen.
Lover of classic cars, collecting firearms, and feeding the ducks
Diehl was a passionate car collector. He preferred Ford and Mercedes-Benz and spent most of his free time working on them, said Rex Brandstatter, a friend of Diehl’s.
Diehl purchased old cars at auction, fixed them, and resold them.
“That was his thing; he could do that would take his mind off of work,” Kaeding said.
Brandstatter said Diehl had an eclectic taste for cars, with one of his most memorable being a sports car that looked more like a rocket.
He was also an avid firearms collector, traveling to gun shows on the weekends.
He also loved feeding the ducks at S.T. Morrison Park with his wife, Shirley. Diehl even paid to have a duck crossing sign installed, according to current city attorney and Diehl’s mentee, Kevin Olson.
‘It didn’t appear that anyone was a stranger to him’
Throughout his nearly 70 years in Coralville, Diehl was known for his friendliness, compassion, and level-headedness.
“He was nice and pleasant to everyone, and it didn’t appear that anyone was a stranger to him,” Kaeding said. “He just was a really good person to be around.”
Olson said Diehl was the type of attorney to look for solutions, rather than create problems or argue for argument’s sake. He passed that wisdom on to Olson.
“He was a great public servant and trustworthy advisor,” Olson said.
Above all, Olson said, Diehl cared deeply about the people of Coralville.
“He cared about the community a great deal because he lived here, too,” Olson said. “He just wanted to make sure that the community he lived in thrived.”
Instead of flowers, Diehl’s family has asked that donations be made to the American Cancer Society in his memory.
Liam Halawith covers Johnson County local government, the University of Iowa, and crime for the Press-Citizen. Reach him by email at lhalawith@registermedia.com. Follow him on X at @liam_halawith.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Late Coraville attorney who loved to feed ducks served for 63 years
Reporting by Liam Halawith, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Liam Halawith, Iowa City Press-Citizen | USA TODAY Network
