Andrea Dietrich Biography

Andrea Dietrich grew up in Iowa and now resides in Utah with a spouse and two cats. She has two grown children and six grandchildren. Having graduated BYU with a Spanish major/ESL minor, she has spent most of her adult life teaching. It wasn't until 2000 that she began writing in earnest and discovering her "niche" as a writer of lyrical poetry. The internet opened up a new world for her, and she has spent two decades now participating in poetry clubs, acting as a judge of poetry contests for various magazines, for the website Shadow Poetry, and for Poetry Soup. 

Ms. Dietrich has won numerous awards, as well as the title Poet of the Year 2008, from the Yahoo group, Poetry For Thought. In addition, she has won prizes from the magazines Lucidity, Bell's Letters, Art with Words, Poets at Work and SP Quill, the magazine for which she wrote grammar and poetry articles as well as movie reviews and for which she acted as poetry editor for the head editor Marie Summers for six years. Many of her poems appeared in Shadows Ink, a yearly published series of chapbooks of award winning poetry as well as in numerous other anthologies. Her short stories appeared in many issues of SP Quill and much of her poetry was published in eight chapbooks (no longer sold online). 

Since coming to Poetry Soup, Ms. Dietrich has been both contest sponsor and winner of numerous contests. In 2010, her poem "Cinder Girl" was first place winner of Soup's International contest (these contests are no longer held).  A song was created from her lyrics "Honeymoon Serenade" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDWxc4cpHDc) and two movies have been made featuring the poetry of Andrea Dietrich: "A Tale of Fire and Ice" (a 4 min. Z-Film Fest Project, 2014) and the full length movie "Six Days of Sistine" in which 20 poems of Ms. Dietrichs serve as the thoughts of two characters played by Jamie Campbell Bower and Elarica Johnson (directed by Richard J. Perry, 2019) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7710360/

Oh My Gosh. I Just Learned Pangie Romios Passed Away

Blog Posted by Andrea Dietrich: 11/9/2025 11:28:00 AM

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Fowler Avatar
November 14, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Hi Andrea. Yes, a sad day for those of us who enjoyed Pangie's wit and poetry. Gershon wrote a poem titled, "A Treasured Friend of Mine". A sweet remembrance and tribute.
Dietrich Avatar
November 17, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Thanks for your words. I have seen 3 tributes already. Let me go see if I saw Gershon's yet.
Messina Avatar
November 14, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Oh geez...so sad to hear. Pangie was a strong woman and fought for what she believed in. I'm sure she battled till the end. R.I.P. my dear friend. I will miss you. :(
Dietrich Avatar
November 14, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Yes. A woman with strong convictions . I echo your R I P
Parker Avatar
November 13, 2025 at 6:39 PM
A shock indeed. A figure of some renown on Soup and loved by many. Her voice will be missed. No doubt she is with her beloved Lord.
Dietrich Avatar
November 14, 2025 at 10:00 AM
No doubt, Arlo. She certainly loved God
Kauffman Avatar
November 13, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Andrea, thank you for passing on this sad news. Pangie and I often communicated and I was just thinking about her. Funny how that happens. I will miss her. She was feisty and open. She wanted to write more haiku and we often communicated about that subject. We have lost someone very special. Sending prayers to her family.
Dietrich Avatar
November 14, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Thanks for your thoughts, Sam
Read Avatar
November 13, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Pangie used to soupmail me quite often, her last message was a week before her passing, she seemed ok at the time, her passing was sudden.
Dietrich Avatar
November 14, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Thanks for bringing it to our attention, John. You must have been really close friends with her. Such a shock when someone seems to be fine and all of a sudden, they are gone!
Seal Avatar
November 12, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Yes I read the news in a comment on a blog or poem about two weeks ago. R.I.P. Pangie.
Dietrich Avatar
November 14, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Thanks, Richard
Etgen-Baker Avatar
November 11, 2025 at 4:41 PM
she was a delightful poet; I shall miss her
Dietrich Avatar
November 11, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Glad you knew her.
Legros Kelley Avatar
November 10, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Oh no, so sad! She was a sweetheart. I loved having the area where I had grown up in common with her. She was a darling, spirited, wonderful person. This is what I fear when I myself am unable to get time to be on PS. , the fear some of my sweet poet friends will pass away, and I have been forever struggling to be on this site. She loved her husband so very much and missed him, she is with him now. Rest in peace Pangie, I'm so sad I never met you in person, You will be missed :(
Dietrich Avatar
November 10, 2025 at 10:46 PM
A wonderful tribute you left her. That's right. She is with her husband now. I think I have seen at least 15 great poet friends leave this world in my past 20 years at least. We just never know, so we have to do our best to keep in touch at least every now and then
Seeker Avatar
November 10, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Thanks for sharing, Andrea. You have a pure and caring heart. It is sad that PR has left us. Prayers for the smooth transition of her soul in God’s domain of love and light.
Dietrich Avatar
November 10, 2025 at 9:31 PM
thanks for those kind words. Pangie gets to see her beautiful afterlife now.
Jones Avatar
November 10, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Omg! Nooooooooooo! Pangie befriended me and I enjoyed her fiesty spirit! This saddens and shocks me as I grew to love her authenticity. If you find out an address to send condolences let me know please For now I’ll visit her page and reread soupmails where she’d both encourage me as well as share who she really was. :0( Sad but hoping she no longer suffers.
Dietrich Avatar
November 14, 2025 at 10:04 AM
I am sure you are right about that. I only mentioned the name of the person I first saw the news coming from
Jones Avatar
November 14, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Gershon says he knew her personally and that HE was first to share but somehow it now seems an infringement of me to ask for her personal information. I soupmailed him and he let me know he already knew.
Dietrich Avatar
November 10, 2025 at 1:24 PM
I just tried a search but I have no idea how I'll ever track it. John Read would probably be better help for you. I don't know him well, but it was John who was informing people of her death over at her last post
Dietrich Avatar
November 10, 2025 at 1:07 PM
You are so sweet. Karen. All I know is she lived in the Bay area, CA. We could type in her name for October obituaries and see if it pops up. Just wish I knew the exact city she lived . I will go to my laptop and try
Pachecho Avatar
November 10, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Andrea, thank you for caring. I looked up Pangi, and taking a page from her submissions- "Lost Poem," I tried to enter my first poem today. Sadly, it flew away, like a butterfly. Pangi's first poem of 3000+ makes all the butterfly lovers proud. Her ever-present and contemporaneous style touched PS for the last six years. She will be missed. To Pangi's loved ones, Blessings and Prayers always. It's as if her first poem sheds some meaning on her passing.
Dietrich Avatar
November 10, 2025 at 5:31 PM
My phone does not go past page 19 when I try to see her first post. I hope to see it later when I finally get on my computer
Dietrich Avatar
November 10, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Thanks for this lovely thoughtful comment. I will have look up butterfly poem.
Hind Avatar
November 9, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Thanks for telling us, Andrea. I hope she is in God's arms. I liked her.
Hind Avatar
November 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
I did not know her well, but read a few poems of hers. She was a cheery soul, I gathered though. <3 :)
Dietrich Avatar
November 9, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Glad you got to know her
Trestrail Avatar
November 9, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Yeah, Pangie will be missed. She had the courage of her convictions. She was a character, I loved the way she drove the mean girls loco. RIP.
Nicole Avatar
November 9, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Dearest Andrea, I am saddened to hear this news. Many called her ' Pangie ' I have always called her ' Panagiota. ' A few times I called her Pangie. My eyes are misty right now. She always placed me on a pedestal. Beyond that, saying I was her " forever shining light of integrity, " and " unique in her life. " I got to know her through her poetry, and while I didn't comment much on hers, and didn't on mine, she tenderly took me under her wing. She always stood her ground and she knew I did as well. I admired that about her. Truly an amazing woman. She will be missed, but not forgotten. Sending healing hugs to her family. ~ Brandy
Dietrich Avatar
November 9, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Your words are a glowing tribute to her!
Carmack Avatar
November 9, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Thanks for letting us know Andrea. I will miss Pangie. Suzette's memorial wall is a great idea.
Dietrich Avatar
November 9, 2025 at 9:42 PM
You are welcome. And I am glad you like the wall of remembrance idea. Maybe they don't do it because it would be so difficult to know of all the deaths. Not sure how it would work!
Rodrigues Avatar
November 9, 2025 at 12:23 PM
I enjoyed Pangie! She, with her ballerina stories and like you said hobnobbing. I heard about it on the blog or someone wrote about her. Was so sorry to hear.
Dietrich Avatar
November 9, 2025 at 2:10 PM
It was on a blog? Oh my. I try to see all the blogs. She was sure an outspoken character! One of a kind
Richards Avatar
November 9, 2025 at 11:56 AM
R.I.P. Pangie. She will be missed. On that note, it might be an idea if TPS could create a memorial wall where those in the know could post notices as many people don't seem to read blogs nowadays.
Messina Avatar
November 14, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Awesome idea!
Nicole Avatar
November 9, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Suzzette, I like that idea. On the poetry site I was over, we had a ' Garden of Remembrance. '
Dietrich Avatar
November 9, 2025 at 12:18 PM
I would love that, Suzette

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