Erin Bess Gabrielle Dietrich's Obituary
We are overwhelmingly heartbroken to announce that Erin Bess Gabrielle Dietrich, age 49, passed away suddenly on March 7, 2026, in Burleson County, Texas. She is now at perfect peace in the arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Gabrielle was affectionately known as “Gabby” by all her family and friends. She was born on August 3, 1976, in Baytown, Texas, the second of three children to Richard and Diana Dietrich. She spent her childhood growing up in Baytown, where she graduated summa cum laude from Robert E. Lee High School in 1994. She was a member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of 1998, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. She also received her Master of Science in Entomology in 2001 from Texas A&M University.
After completing her academic career, Gabby accepted her first job at Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services as a laboratory specialist and test and evaluation supervisor in their mosquito control division. In 2002, she landed her dream job in Fort Collins, Colorado, working as a biologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Bacterial Diseases Branch and Tick-Borne Diseases Activity. Her research included plague and Lyme disease prevention and tick control, and she often traveled the country to conduct her field work. She also participated in numerous CDC disease outbreak investigations across the United States. She was a published researcher with dozens of articles issued in scientific journals and co-held a U.S. patent involving pest control. Throughout the years, Gabby held various other positions and owned several personal businesses.
Gabby loved life and was always looking forward to planning her next big adventure. A lifelong lover of the outdoors, she spent her happiest days climbing fourteeners in Colorado, hiking tree-lined trails, skiing down snow-covered mountains, tent camping under the stars, and driving the scenic country backroads. She believed in finding beauty in God’s creation everywhere she went and could often be found exploring a national or state park and volunteering at the community garden. Her family finds comfort knowing she is now exploring a new, beautiful landscape in the heavens above.
Gabby was a kind and gentle soul whose heart was to help anyone who crossed her path. She was humble and generous, often giving of her time and personal resources to provide for the needs of others. She loved the Lord and was known to sit down with her guitar and write worship songs to her Savior. She also had a deep passion for reading and the Word of God. She had an extensive palate and enjoyed cooking a wide variety of ethnic cuisines. Gabby loved to cross-stitch, a hobby passed down from her mother and maternal aunts. She was very, well-read and had a brilliant mind. She adored her nieces and nephew dearly, taking them on exciting adventures and teaching them through books, play and storytelling.
She is preceded in death by her grandparents Alfred Richard Dietrich, Sr. (Margaret Peterson) of South Houston, Texas, and Ben (Bessie Wood) Thorpe of Bay City, Texas.
Gabby is survived by her parents, Alfred Richard Dietrich, Jr. (Diana Thorpe) of College Station, Texas; her sister Rilee (Kerry) Kelton of College Station, Texas, and their children Kerrigan, Zoe Bess and Arielle; and her brother Alfred Richard (Trey) Dietrich III (Tanya) of Pearland, Texas, and their children Noah, Eliana, Ruby and Annie Bess. She is also survived by many extended family members and friends who deeply loved her.
A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, May 2nd, at South Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 1310 N. Main Street, Pearland, Texas, 77581. Visitation begins at 12:00 p.m. with a funeral service following at 1:00 p.m. Those in attendance are invited to the burial immediately following at the cemetery grounds.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Gabby’s memory to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (https://www.tpwf.org) or the American Lyme Disease Foundation (https://www.aldf.com).
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