DIEFENDORF

Evelyn B. Diefendorf, 83, formerly of Brookville, N.Y., passed away peacefully Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012, at the Hospice Home in Pinehurst, after her loving and generous heart failed. With sheer will and determination she was able to be with us for the last several years, accepting growing older and its attendant failings graciously.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, at the Community Presbyterian Church in Pinehurst, with the Rev. Rod Stone officiating. Following the service, the family will hold a reception at the church’s fellowship hall.
She is survived by her loving husband of 63 years, Monroe Diefendorf; her brother, Lee Broglio (Iseult), of West Palm Beach, Fla.; her two children, Martha Diefendorf (Robert Hogan), of Chapel Hill, and Monroe “Roey” Diefendorf Jr. (Christine), of Laurel Hollow, N.Y.; her six grandchildren, Ashley Howe (Steve), Jennie Donovan (Jeremy), Katharine McGinigle (Peter Leese), Whitney Baran (Jason), Steven McGinigle and Emily Higgs (Jeff); and five great-grandchildren, Anderson, Davis and Grayson Howe, Caroline Donovan, and Corniglia Baran.
Born Dec. 25, 1928, in New York City, Evelyn was the daughter of Frank and Lillian Broglio, well-known restaurateurs on Long Island and owners of the Swan Club in Glenwood Landing. She graduated cum laude from Friend’s Academy in Locust Valley, N.Y., where she played varsity basketball, field hockey, soccer and lacrosse, and received the Gold Medal Award for scholarship and athletics. She attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and later obtained the Chartered Life Underwriter’s designation and became financial officer in her husband’s insurance agency.
Evelyn was the epitome of a devoted mother, a steadfast, unwavering supporter, taking on roles such as Girl Scout leader, little league coach and PTA president. She was equally devoted to her grandchildren and enthusiastically supported them in their education, activities and interests.
She took particular pleasure in her involvement with the Brookville Reformed Church and the Pinehurst Community Presbyterian Church, where she and her husband were faithful members. At Brookville, she served as Sunday School teacher, treasurer, president of the Women’s Guild, elder and chair of the Finance Committee. After their move to Pinehurst in 1989, she served as treasurer of the Women’s Association, chair of the Mission and Outreach Committee, moderator of the Presbyterian Women’s Association, and chair of Circle No. 5.
Through the years, she and her husband enjoyed traveling, taking cruises in various parts of the world and making annual visits to her family’s ancestral home in northwest Italy, where the family enjoyed many retreats. An avid reader, a whiz at crossword puzzles and an excellent bridge player, she also enjoyed sports, particularly golf, tennis and bowling, as well as the arts, taking up oil painting in her retirement. She will also be remembered as an enthusiastic collector of stamps, coins and shells.
Evelyn’s family and friends cherished her distinctively sharp wit, quick mind and wry sense of humor. Her greatest gifts were her generosity and supportiveness, and perhaps her greatest gift to the rest of us is her example.
In her memory, her family suggests a simple contribution of love and generosity toward one’s own family and friends. Those contemplating a remembrance are asked to consider, in lieu of flowers, a contribution to the Evelyn and Monroe Diefendorf Scholarship Fund at the Community Presbyterian Church, Box 1449, Pinehurst, NC 28370.
Online condolences may be made at www.bolesfuneral home.com.
Boles Funeral Home of Southern Pines is assisting the family.