He was the youngest son and last living son of Dewey and Martha Dillman, who owned Dillman Foods in Middletown.
While at MHS, Dillman was a three-sport athlete in baseball, football and basketball and member of the boys basketball teams that won back-to-back state championships in 1952-53.
He was inducted into the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and the MHS Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
Dillman continued his academic and athletic accomplishments at Ohio State University. While studying veterinary medicine, he played offensive and defensive lineman for the Buckeyes, according to Steve Dillman, a nephew.
Playing under Coach Woody Hayes, Dillman helped the Buckeyes win Big 10 championships in 1954-55, a Rose Bowl title in 1955 and national championship in 1957 when he was a student coach.
During his senior year, Dillman was on the field for all but 18 plays, his nephew said.
One of Dillman’s three daughters, Jennifer Fisher, said her father always described himself as “an all-around good athlete.”
He graduated from OSU with his veterinary degree in 1959.
Three years later, he opened his veterinary practice in Trotwood that was open for nearly 50 years. While living in Trotwood, Dillman served on the school board, was a member of the Rotary Club and a longtime member of Miami Valley Golf Club.
He loved his golden retrievers, crossword puzzles, football, golf, snow skiing, and his annual trip to Cancun, Mexico with friends and family, according to his family.
“He was a good family man,” Dillman said of his uncle. “He loved his daughters.”
He also was a practical joker, Fisher said. She remembered one time he walked out of a bathroom with toilet paper hanging out of his pants. Another time, she said, while her father was staying in a hotel, he hid in the trunk of the car. He had a friend tell the hotel clerk he heard a noise and when the clerk opened the trunk to investigate, Dillman jumped out.
He is survived by his daughters Diana Dillman (Cristina Louzan), Lori Zander (Daniel), Jennifer Fisher (Donald), and his grandchildren Daniel and Lauren Zander and Jacob and Elijah Fisher.
He was preceded in death by his wives Maria Latanzio and Barbara Withers-Sonneborn.
A funeral service for family and friends will be held at 1 p.m. March 23, 2024 at Woodside Cemetery & Arboretum in Middletown.
About the Author
