Erin Bess Gabrielle Dietrich

Erin Bess Gabrielle Dietrich, affectionately known as Gabby, passed away suddenly on March 7, 2026, in Burleson County, Texas, at the age of 49. Born on August 3, 1976, in Baytown, Texas, she was the second of three children to Richard and Diana Dietrich. Gabby graduated summa cum laude from Robert E. Lee High School in 1994 before earning a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science in 1998 and a Master of Science in Entomology in 2001, both from Texas A&M University.

Gabby began her career as a laboratory specialist and test and evaluation supervisor in the mosquito control division at Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services. In 2002, she joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Fort Collins, Colorado, as a biologist in the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, where she focused on plague and Lyme disease prevention, tick control, and outbreak investigations across the country. A published researcher with dozens of scientific articles and a co-holder of a U.S. patent in pest control, she later held various positions and owned several personal businesses.

An avid outdoorswoman, Gabby found deep joy in climbing fourteeners in Colorado, hiking, skiing, tent camping, and exploring scenic backroads and parks. She volunteered at community gardens and cherished the beauty of God’s creation. Kind and generous, she was known for helping others, writing worship songs on her guitar, studying the Bible, cooking diverse ethnic cuisines, and cross-stitching. She had a brilliant mind and a special bond with her nieces and nephew, whom she loved taking on adventures and teaching through books, play, and stories.

Gabby was preceded in death by her grandparents Alfred Richard Dietrich, Sr. and Margaret Peterson of South Houston, Texas, and Ben and Bessie Wood Thorpe of Bay City, Texas. She is survived by her parents, Alfred Richard Dietrich, Jr. and Diana Thorpe of College Station, Texas; her sister Rilee Kelton and husband Kerry of College Station, and their children Kerrigan, Zoe Bess, and Arielle; her brother Alfred Richard Dietrich III and wife Tanya of Pearland, Texas, and their children Noah, Eliana, Ruby, and Annie Bess; and many extended family members and friends who loved her dearly.