Cortlandt S. (Cort) Dietler. Photo Courtesy of Rocky Mountain News

Legendary energy industry pioneer Cortlandt (Cort) S. Dietler, the founder of TransMontaigne Inc., and a former chairman of Hart Energy Publishing LP, died July 10 at his home in Denver. He was 86. At his request, no service will be held.

A native of Denver, Dietler grew up in Tulsa, Okla. He served in the Army during World War II, and in 1947, graduated from the University of Tulsa with a degree in history and political science. His first job after college was with the Trans-Arabia Pipeline Co., and was stationed in Beirut.

He married Martha S. Nicholson on Jan. 30, 1948, in Tulsa. That same year, he accepted a job in Casper, Wyo., with the Toronto Pipe Line Co. In 1950, he moved to Denver, when he was appointed division landman with Argo Oil Corp.

Friends and energy industry executives remember a gentle man who led by example with a keen wit.

“Cort was a great friend, mentor and leader for so many people. His vision, integrity, strength of character, and self-deprecating humor positively influenced all who knew him. He will be greatly missed,” says Hal Logan, partner and director of former Dietler companies Associated Natural Gas Corp. and TransMontaigne and partner and director of current Dietler companies Basic Materials and Services and National Energy Resources Co.

Merrill Lynch Petrie vice chairman Tom Petrie, and a long-time friend, says, “Cort was truly ‘one of a kind,’ a patriot first, an incredibly successful serial entrepreneur, a generous and quiet supporter of numerous worthy institutions and programs, and a friend and mentor to all who will miss his engaging sense of humor.”

Dietler is remembered by friend Dale Shaffer as a man who supported his city, state and country. “He was a good friend. He was a good American who loved his county, his city and his state. We will all miss him greatly.”

Long-time friend and former business associate Frederick Hamilton of Denver says, “He’ was an outstanding person. He was tremendously successful in what he did. If you were a charity and you had Cort on your team, you could count on being successful.

“I remember him for his charm, wit and grace. He was very quiet and he believed in giving back to the community. He had an incredible sense of timing and humor. You could be in a meeting discussing oil prices, or something, and he would just say something that would have everyone laughing. I will miss my friend.”

Dietler founded more than a dozen oil and gas companies, many of which he successfully sold. He started his first company in 1951, Platte Transport Corp., which later became Western Crude Marketers Inc., which he sold nine years later to Permian Corp.

In a 2007 interview with the Rocky Mountain News, he said, “I started my own company because nobody would hire me. Finding capital was very difficult. We didn’t have enough money to buy hamburgers, but we managed to buy some expensive credit. One thing led to another, and we were fortunate to pay the bills and keep going.”

Dietler went on to create Western Crude Oil Inc. in 1967 that was sold to Getty Oil Co. in 1980 and Associated Natural Gas Corp. in 1982, sold to Panhandle Eastern Corp. in 1994, which merged with Duke Energy Corp. in 1997. He was also founder and chairman of National Energy Resource Co. and Basic Materials and Services LLC.

He may be best known for starting TransMontaigne in 1995, where he was chairman, president and chief executive until September 1999. The company was sold to Morgan Stanley in August 2006. His most recent venture, reported in March, was teaming with Patrick McDonald, former chief executive of Denver-based Carbon Energy, to create a $115-million acquisition company, National Energy Resources Acquisition Co.

Dietler was a director of Affiliated Bankshares Inc. and its predecessors for 28 years and was chairman of the executive committee before its merger with Bank One. He has served as a director of a number of other companies, the most recent of which include Cimarex Energy Co., Ellora Energy, Forest Oil Corp., Hallador Petroleum Co. and Nytis Exploration Co. He was a member of the National Petroleum Council, and a director of the American Petroleum Institute and the Independent Petroleum Association of America. He was a past president of the former Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas Association, of which he was a life member.

Dietler served as a trustee of the Buffalo Bill Memorial Association, Colorado Historical Foundation, the Culver Educational Foundation, the Denver Art Museum, Denver Foundation, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, El Pomar Foundation, the University of Tulsa, the former Loretto Heights College, and St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation. He was also a trustee and past chairman of the Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and a director of the Western Stock Show Association.

Hamilton added that his friend was very generous in terms of the charities he supported. “He supported almost every function in town. It’s an obligation he felt he had. When you get a lot and you’re lucky, you want to give something back.”

Dietler holds an honorary doctorate of business from Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Mich., and is a distinguished alumnus of the University of Tulsa. He was named Oil Man of the Year by the Denver Petroleum Club in 1976, Pioneer Oil Man of the Year by the Colorado Petroleum Association in 1986, and Wildcatter of the Year by the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States in 2003. Dietler was elected to the Colorado Business Hall of Fame in 2001

For the past 30 years, Dietler had been a supporter of the Denver Area Council of Boy Scouts of America, serving as a past chairman and trustee. He was named Citizen of the West in 2007.

He is survived by his wife Martha Dietler of Denver. Memorial contributions may be made to the Denver Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America or a charity of choice. JAS