Former Malibu resident Gary Dianella died suddenly in his Orange County home on the morning of Aug. 24. Dianella and his family had lived in Malibu for 20 years. He was 57.
Dianella was born in Glendridge, N.J. on June 5, 1951. He married his high school sweetheart, Karen, nearly 33 years ago. Dianella was active in Malibu Little League for many years and shaped a generation of Malibu’s youth through his coaching. He was a mentor to young athletes in the Malibu community, inspiring greatness on and off the field. Dianella considered his players the brightness in his life, although he would deny his status as an influence when asked.
Many former players, players’ parents and fellow coaches have expressed their sadness since his death.
“Needless to say, ball teams in heaven just got a lot better,” a family member wrote in an e-mail to The Malibu Times.
Dianella is survived by his mother, Josephine; brother, Robert; wife, Karen and sons, Michael and Matthew. He will be buried at Admiration Point inside Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
A funeral service will take place at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills at the Church of the Hills on Friday at 12:30 p.m. with a reception at Robert Dianella’s home in Newbury Park. Donations of flowers can be sent through Forest Lawn by calling 323.769.7366 or donations can be made in Dianella’s name to ThinkCure! (www.thinkcure.org), the official charity of the Los Angeles Dodgers.