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KENNEWICK -- Just one week before his sudden death in May, prominent Tri-City lawyer Diehl Rettig attended a Benton-Franklin Adult Drug Court graduation.
It was a courtroom scene that over and over again brought him joy -- watching people who had battled addictions lauded for completing the rigorous program and leaving clean and sober.
Rettig had devoted much of himself over the years to drug court, offering up his business acumen and free legal services to help the Circle of Hope Foundation get nonprofit status and lending his name to give credibility to fundraising efforts. But he didn't take a lot of credit for that work, preferring to remain in the background.
Wednesday, he was recognized posthumously with the Hero of Hope award for his "leadership and exceptional commitment and service to the community and to the Benton-Franklin Drug Court program and its participants."
The award was presented by Superior Court Judge Runge to Rettig's wife of 34 years, Anne, and their son Rob. A packed courtroom gave them a standing ovation.
"I think Diehl appreciated just the real human aspects of drug court. In other words, the changes that people make and can make in their lives to overcome great obstacles, such as addiction," said Runge, who presides over the weekly program meetings and drug court proceedings. "I think Diehl just felt a connection there that the human spirit could triumph over great obstacles."
Rettig, 66, died May 12 at a Spokane hospital after suffering a stroke.
Runge said the May 5 graduation was the last time she saw Rettig, who was vice president of Circle of Hope, a group of community members dedicated to assisting and raising money for adult and juvenile drug courts in the Tri-Cities.
"His support was much behind the scenes. He wasn't out in the forefront ... but that doesn't mean that it was any less important or that we shouldn't be recognizing him," Runge told the courtroom Wednesday. "Diehl Rettig knew that not everyone should be treated the same in the criminal justice system. ... We really can impact and change people's lives if we're willing to step out of the box and do things different."
Drug court serves as an alternative to incarceration or other punishment for people who commit crime to support substance-abuse problems. Criminal charges against the participants are suspended once they're admitted into the programs, then dropped when they graduate.
The program focuses on getting participants clean and sober by attending weekly drug court and passing through four phases that take at least a year to successfully complete. They must submit to random drug tests at least twice a week, and join in group treatment sessions and a 12-step program, each a minimum of three times a week.
Three men and a woman were recognized Wednesday for finishing the adult program.
They have weathered the tough times in their personal lives with their addictions and in drug court when the program was in danger of folding a year ago due to lack of funding with budget cuts, Runge said. However, they persevered and made it to graduation, in part because of Rettig's contributions, she said.
The Hero of Hope award is a special recognition for people "who really have gone above and beyond the call of duty in supporting drug courts," Runge said.
Prior recipients of the Hero of Hope include: Kennewick Police Chief Ken Hohenberg; former Benton County sheriff's Lt. Jerry Hatcher; Jacque van Wormer, the Models for Change coordinator for the bicounty juvenile system; and Dave Schulz, president and CEO of Hapo Community Credit Union.
In addition to Rettig family members, friend Bill Lampson and law partners Steve Osborne, Fran Forgette and Mike O'Donnell attended Wednesday's ceremony.
"(Rettig) believed in this program. He and I both have always felt that every life is precious and if you can help someone turn around to have a quality life, it's a precious thing to do," said Anne Rettig.
Diehl Rettig would have been really proud of Wednesday's graduates and efforts to help the program carry on, she said.
Anne Rettig and Rob Rettig are part owners of First Step Counseling Services. She also is a retired teacher who worked with troubled kids who made mistakes with drugs, so it all fits with their interest in "hope for humanity."
"I was very proud of (Diehl's) work" with drug court, she said. "It was a passion of his."
Benton County Prosecutor Andy Miller, president of the Circle of Hope, said he recommended Rettig for the honor. Rettig used his "keen business sense" to improve the foundation board and "his advice was really valuable."
Miller said he suggested the late lawyer because "he did so much work and didn't get any recognition for it."
During a brief recess after the award presentation, Ayla Ragsdale of Pasco joined a line of people waiting to greet Anne Rettig. The two hugged, followed by a high-five from Rettig once she learned Ragsdale anticipates graduating in the next drug court class and is studying accounting at Columbia Basin College.
"When I got in here, my life was going down a really bad road," Ragsdale said. "Through this program, and its supporters, my life has turned around."
-- Photographer Kai-Huei Yau contributed to this report.
-- Kristin M. Kraemer: 509-582-1531; kkraemer@tricityherald.com
