Diana Lyn Ephraim

Diana Lyn Ephraim, nee Dennis, formerly of Palos Heights, IL, died on September 25, 2024 in Annapolis, MD. Born on September 29th, 1945, in Chicago, IL, she was the daughter of Alfred W. and Alice Dennis. She graduated from Calumet High School in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood on the south side of Chicago where she met and then married classmate Philip C. Ephraim in 1964. They had three daughters, Patti Ephraim, Mindy Rosenberg (Ephraim), and Laurel Ephraim and moved to Ada, Oklahoma in 1972. There, she was a member of the Oak Hills Golf and Country Club and the Tante women’s club. Diana enjoyed cooking and gardening, and was known for hosting dinner parties for friends and family where she would try out new cooking styles, such as Cantonese cuisine. A stay-at-home mother, she obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from East Central University. Following her divorce in 1982, she returned to the Chicago area, living in Orland Park and then Palos Heights, IL. An artist at her core, she continued to paint large scale oil and watercolor portraits of flowers which she exhibited at art fairs in the area, including the prestigious Old Town Art Fair. She obtained a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Saint Xavier University of Evergreen Park and taught Art in the Valley View School District until her retirement in 2008. She was a longtime member of Lemont Oaks where she had many friends who were like family. She loved the city of Chicago and all its gifts – from shopping on State Street and at Water Tower Place, to architectural tours, museums, restaurants, the theater and everything Grant Park had to offer. She adored her dogs throughout the years, especially Muffy and Lily. Christmas was her favorite time of year where she enjoyed holiday decorating, cooking, baking, gift giving and candlelight service on Christmas Eve with her family. In 2020, Diana moved to the Sunrise of Annapolis retirement community in Annapolis, MD, to be closer to her daughters.

Survivors include her three daughters, her son-in-law Nigel Sequeira (Patti), Jeffrey Rosenberg (Mindy) and Keith Eberhardt (Laurel), grandchildren Gabrielle Sequeira and Beatrice Sequeira of Baltimore, MD, Jacob Rosenberg and Marni Rosenberg of Olathe, KS, nieces Marcie (Robert Sperry) Brown and Jan (Kevin) Keen, nephew Rick (Jeanette) Brown, and great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her sister Sharon Brown Lowry. Visitation for Diana will be held Friday, October 4, 2024, from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Orland Funeral Home, 9900 W 143rd, Orland Park, IL 60462, where a Funeral Service will then take place on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at 10 AM. Interment Chapel Hill Gardens South Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation www.parkinson.org and The Chicago Lighthouse www.chicagolighthouse.org/donate/ .