Mary Diamandas

Mary Faraklas Diamandas.

Born June 17, 1928, Mary left this earth on October 5, 2022, at the age of 94 to join her late husband, Kostas (Gus) Diamandas, her parents Nicholas and Kiki Faraklas, her siblings Sylvia Faraklas and Ted Faraklas, her sister-in-law and lifelong friend Geraldine (Gerry) Faraklas, her in-laws Nick and Efterpe Diamandas and beloved brother-in-law Steve Diamandas for a long-awaited reunion in heaven.

Raised in Irvington Mary married Gus in August 1954 and they moved to East Hanover in December 1959, where they resided for the remainder of both their lives. She was a member of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church of Newark and later Ss. Nicholas, Constantine & Helen of Roseland.

During her life Mary was a long-time member of the church choir serving as organist in her youth and singing praises of the Lord well in to her 80s.  She devoted her life to volunteering for the youth of her community both in East Hanover as a Girl Scout leader and Cub Scout den mother and at St. Nicholas as a long-time GOYA advisor.

She loved animals and her home was often filed with numerous types.  She loved the Brooklyn Dodgers, the NY Yankees, and the NY Giants, but she’d route for the Jets and Mets too, if they weren’t playing against one of her favorites. She enjoyed socializing with her Overlook Avenue neighbors, Wildwood Crest vacations, and jetting off to an island to escape the NJ winters with Ted and Gerry. What she loved most was being with her extended family on the now legendary Greek Easter celebrations that she and Gus hosted and with her extended church family.

She was the mother of three, grandmother of three, and great grandmother of one, beloved cousin, sister-in-law, aunt and surrogate mother to dozens of Ss. Nicholas youth who passed through the GOYA program. 

The visitation will be held at Ss. Nicholas, Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Roseland on Tuesday from 10am-11am, immediately followed by the funeral service at 11am.  Entombment at Restland Memorial Park in East Hanover. 

If you would like to donate in Mary’s memory, please do so to either the GOYA of Ss. Nicholas, Constantine and Helen or to Turtle Back Zoo.

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