Diehl Mateer

G. Diehl Mateer, Jr. died on Saturday at the age of eighty-four.

Word went around the Jesters Club’s annual weekend Sunday brunch in Detroit, with many people like former doubles partner Sam Howe reminiscing about the great man. Mateer was one of the most accomplished and successful players in U.S. squash history, incredibly competitive and focused, talented, hard-working and powerful. 

The last time I talked with him in November. He was down at his home out in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. He was in failing health. His knees were shot and he had to walk gingerly with a walker. He had heart issues and had recently had two valves replaced. But he was still his vital self, full of wisdom and squash memories that stretched back to the early 1940s. 

Mateer was the last player in the finals of the national doubles to wear long flannel trousers. As a child, I always remembered Mateer slugging the ball with the white pants on. In all our many conversations over the decades, I had never asked him about that. So I did. He said the pants kept his legs warm (he wore them in singles when he was older too) in those cold courts at Merion. A classic look from a classic player. 

Here is a nice album of Mateer photos:

https://plus.google.com/photos/118058690584047248227/albums/57873563830069495…

One thought on “Diehl Mateer”

  1. Diehl Mateer was a class act, a great jester, a true gentleman, and one of the giants of squash. He leaves behind a great family as his legacy as well, Arrivaderci, Champ. It was a great run.

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