Nicanor "Nick" Díaz

Mr. Nicanor “Nick” Díaz, 76, passed away at his home in Middletown, Maryland on Tuesday June 11, 2024.

Nick was a well-known and respected force in Frederick County and beyond for his dedication to excellence in Math, Music, and Motorcycling.

Nick was born on December 26, 1947, to the late Idania Magdelena Fernández Prats and Nicanor Román Díaz y Díaz in La Habana, Cuba. Nick lived in Marianao, Cuba where he attended Colegio de Belén until 1960 when he left Cuba with his mother to take refuge in the United States. His father soon joined them in Miami, and they later moved to a small town in Ohio where Nick would graduate from Antwerp High School in 1965.

Nick attended the University of Dayton in Ohio, where he met his wife of nearly 55 years. After graduating in 1969, he went on to work as a teacher, first at the Immaculate Conception School in Dayton and later in Frederick County, Maryland. Mr. Díaz taught grades 5 and 6 at Waverley Elementary School from 1973-1981, and then moved on to be a mathematics teacher at Governor Thomas Johnson Middle School between 1981 and 2003, with his specialty being 6th grade math and coaching gifted students. Mr. Díaz coached MATHCOUNTS competitions from 1986-2010, and was known to have made a significant impact on his students, several of whom he stayed in touch with for decades. In 1995, Mr. Díaz was awarded the Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award by the Washington Post.

After retiring from Frederick County Public Schools, Nick taught at the Barnesville School for 8 years and then at St. John’s Regional Catholic School for 2 years. After leaving the classroom, Nick was again active in the Frederick County Public School system as a Mathematics and Enrichment Consultant, Coordinator of high school Academic Tournaments, and Coordinator of middle school mathematics competition sponsors. Nick served on the Board of Trustees at Frederick Community College for 15 years, from 2006 to 2021. While on the Board, he was Vice Chair for 1 year and then Chair of the Board for 2 years.

A classically trained tenor, Nick sang in many churches and venues in the area. He sang as a cantor, in choirs, ensembles, and at many funeral Masses. He was a member of the Frederick Chorale in the mid 1980s through the early 1990s. Nick enjoyed serving his church, St. Johns the Evangelist of Frederick, through music ministry.

Nick’s other known passion was Motorcycle riding. Nick rode over 500,000 miles, over a span of 53 years. Continuing on with his love for teaching, he taught many riders, young and old, to be better and safer riders, and to have more fun while they’re at it. He led and planned many rides in the region, showing them new routes and small diners in the “middle of nowhere” all while enjoying the beauty of nature. His love for motorcycling was preceded by his love for riding horses as a child at his godfather “Padrino” Ricardo Lostal’s farm in Cienfuegos, Cuba.

Nick is survived by his wife Marianne, sons Daniel (Amanda) and Eric, daughters Elizabeth and Anna Lisa, and grandsons William, Alexander, Nicholas, and Joseph.

The family will receive friends on Thursday June 27, 2024 from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Keeney and Basford Funeral Home, 106 East Church Street, Frederick MD. There will be a funeral Mass at St. John’s the Evangelist Catholic Church of Frederick, 118 East 2nd Street, Frederick, MD, on Friday, June 28 at 1pm followed by his inurnment at St. John’s Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, Nick wished for memorial contributions to be made to the Organ Restoration Project at St. John’s the Evangelist of Frederick https://stjohn-frederick.org/organ-project/ .

Online condolences may be shared at https://www.keeneybasford.com/obits .