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Josef Diamond
An honorable counselor ... a gentle man
and a wonderful friend.


Chapter 6 -- Reflections of the actress Mrs. Diamond

In 1985, while on a business trip to Chicago, Josef met a beautiful actress, Muriel Bach, and a romance blossomed. They were married on May 18, 1986. Muriel gave up her life-long family roots in Chicago and moved to Seattle to start a wonderful new life with Josef. She still performs one-woman shows all across the country and Josef is her biggest fan. He says: "She will have her audience laughing and crying within the same hour, and me right along with them."

And Muriel is Josef's biggest admirer and fan. Reflecting on their romance, she says:

"What was it that drew me to this remarkable man and led me to abandon family, home, friends, leave Chicago, and move to Seattle? He was 79 when we began to talk of marriage and I told him: 'If we marry, you have to promise me 21years because when I get married, it is always for 21 years.' Joe paused, looked deep into my eyes, and said: 'You're selling me short!' The next year, on his eightieth birthday, he sighed and said, "Well, I'm halfway there!"

"I think that is what is so exhilarating about being married to a man who is so upbeat. He makes me feel young ... and womanly. The first time I had to leave him for an out of town engagement, I phoned him from the airport for onelast good-bye. He answered the phone in his office and from the noisy airport phone, I whispered: 'I'm just calling to tell you that I love you very much.' He paused and said, 'Who is this'?"

"Perhaps the most challenging part of our marriage is, I never know when he is serious. But I do know that I am blessed ... blessed to have found such a caring, loving, handsome, easy-to-live-with man for the rest of my life."

"From the very beginning, when I first met Joe, I was impressed with how easy he is to be around. There is no tension, you don't feel any tension in him. I knew he would be easy to live with ... and he is. Very undemanding."

"Another thing that staggered me was how creative he is in business. I had never been involved with the business world before, and it was a very different world to me. Before my world had been the arts, and politics ... so I was amazed that someone in the world of business would be so creative."

"But most of all, what impressed me about Josef is that he really cares about people ... and helping people. No one could be any more caring. I couldn't tell you how many people I've met whom he has helped, and in so many different ways. Josef's way of helping people is to help the people, not just throw money at a problem. And he helps people on a personal basis, not through organizations. His acts of charity are on a personal level, and they are unending. Anybody in need, he will either help personally or lead them to where they can get help."

Muriel's daughter, Susan Wolfson shares Muriel's admiration of Josef and fondly remembers her own first occasion of meeting Josef:

"When I first met Joe Diamond, he put his best foot forward and so did I. He told his best stories and did his very best to impress me with what a nice guy he was. I expected that. He was in love with my mother and my mother was in love with him and Joe wanted my approval.

"What has impressed me more, however, was the string of people I have met since that time who share the same view of what a fine fellow this Josef Diamond really is. Man after man has told his story of how Joe Diamond set him up in business, saved his business, loaned him the money to start his business, gave him invaluable advice that guaranteed the success of his business, invested in his business, or simply befriended him and changed his life.

"Joe has been the key factor in changing the destiny of so many whose lives touched his. He has the unceasing love and respect of so many people whose lives have crossed his path.

"My mom loves Joe. She is bound to think that he is terrific. However, the most impressive thing is the long list of friends and business associates who regularly validate what a great guy this Joe Diamond really is."

Robert Hibbs, a member of Josef's law firm, remembers the time he was on a business trip to Phoenix and received a call from Joe who said: "There is someone I want you to meet while you are in Phoenix. I have been seeing this woman and she is not just another date." Bob then explains that the woman turned out to be lovely Muriel. He says: "I met her for a most engaging lunch after one of her performances and she told me: 'You know, Joe and I are engaged tobe married.' I had to admit that Joe had not yet told me about the marriage plans. Muriel replied: 'I would not doubt that a bit. I have told all my friends in Chicago, but I don't think Joe is telling people in Seattle.' Sure enough, Joe had kept Seattle in the dark about his plans, but then he said: 'I know I have to spread the word. I can't have my friends in Seattle hear about this from people in Chicago'."

At one of Muriel's one-woman shows, Lola Hallowell, Muriel's Talent Agent asked Josef if he was proud of Muriel. He said, "Yes. But if I had known what a great actress she was, I would have been afraid to marry her. When she toldme she was an actress, I thought maybe she participated in community theatre. But then on our honeymoon, she informed me that she had an engagement in another city to do one of her shows. So, I went with her and got a terrific shock when I saw what a real pro I had on my hands. If I had seen that before we were married, then I would have been afraid to marry her."

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