Former South Elgin firefighter who died after battling ALS to be honored Sunday

The community is invited to honor a former South Elgin firefighter who died last year following a battle with ALS.

A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 26, at Panton Mill Park in South Elgin for Steven Diehl, who spent 31 years as a firefighter/paramedic with the South Elgin Fire Department.

He also spent time working as a paramedic in Carol Stream and as a volunteer with the Ogle-Lee Fire Department.

“My husband was a really proud fireman, really proud,” his widow Michelle Diehl said. “It meant a lot to him to serve as a firefighter for 31 years.”

Diehl retired and moved to Alabama in February 2022 but was diagnosed with ALS that September.

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

He died a little over a year later on Nov. 18, 2023. He was 52.

Diehl, a 1989 Larkin High School graduate, worked on several specialty teams with the fire department, including the hazmat, dive and swiftwater teams. He served as a firefighting instructor at Elgin Community College. He also volunteered extensively with the Boy Scouts.

The event will feature the Illinois Firefighters Honor Guard, of which Diehl had been an active member until his death, a walk-through by firefighters, first responders and scouts and a bell ceremony. Their son Jeremiah, also a firefighter, will carry his father’s ashes.

Michelle Diehl and her son Jeremiah will receive flags.

The event is the first local service for Diehl since his death. His brother Scott works with the SEFD.

“He wanted to bring his brother home and give his fellow brothers and sisters from the fire service a chance to say goodbye,” Michelle Diehl said.

She has been very open with her family’s ALS journey on their Facebook page called the Real Diehl. The celebration of life was planned for May to coincide with ALS Awareness Month.