Mary Ann Chalk

November 8, 1931 - February 20, 2021

On Saturday, February 20, 2021 at 7:30 in the evening, surrounded by family, Mary Ann (Diniakos)Chalk entered into the presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.       Mary was born November 8, 1931 to Louis and Sophia Diniakos. She is survived by her husband John, her sister Dee Howard, her daughters Laurie (Walter) Wilgus, Diana Dewan, Coleen (Glenn) Garner, Shana (Bruce) Williams, and her son, John (Cayce) Chalk. She is blessed with 16 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.       Mary was predeceased by her brothers, John and Gus, grandson Joshua, great granddaughter, Harper, and many Chalk dogs who are now yelping in pain as Mary hugs and squeezes their faces and ears as she greets them again.       Raised in an orphanage in New York City Mary often referenced a childhood that, while filled with lots of children and activity, was missing the love and guidance of parents and the "hominess" of a real home. Following service as a court stenographer in the Marine Corps, where she met and married fellow Marine and artist John R. Chalk, she poured herself into creating a home for her growing family filled with her sewing, her experiments with cooking (recipes are just suggestions), her love of Fred and Ginger movies,  her unending belief that her husband and each of her children were special and that God has a sovereign plan for each one. Mary kept her mind sharp working crossword puzzles and writing poetry. Later in life, she learned the business of selling John's paintings and sculpture to people around the world. She kept her body fit playing tennis, practicing her graceful freestyle stroke, and maintaining her various decorative gardens where she revived plants ( and sometimes not) and shrubs with her own style of pruning and fertilizing. Mary kept her spirit strong with daily reading and reflection of God's Word. She was faithful in prayer and lifted much of what she pondered up to the Lord in devotional writing and poetry.      Her testimony of enduring faith and trust that God worked all things together for our good and for His glory was evident in how she encouraged friends and family as they struggled with the trials of life.  We are confident the Lord greeted her with the words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."      A private memorial has been arranged to share memories and to celebrate a life well lived.