Diane Evangelista Wood

Diane Evangelista-Wood March 28, 1951 – March 26, 2022 (Age 70) Diane Evangelista Wood, of Annapolis, MD passed away at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD on March 26, 2022. She is survived by her husband, Peter Wood; daughter, Traci Ann Schecodnic, and her husband, Nick; son, Eddie Proffitt; grandchildren, Anthony, Sarah, Lewis, and Nicholas; great-grandson, Gianni; mother, Edith Evangelista; sister, Karen Kirchner (and husband Ralph); brother, Mark Evangelista (and wife Sumanee); niece, Sheena; nephews, Brian, and Jesse. Diane was predeceased by her father, Fred Evangelista. Diane was raised in Severna Park, MD and graduated from Severna Park High School. Recently she served on the 50th Reunion committee and really enjoyed reconnecting with many old friends. She has been in contact with friends on the Class of 69 Facebook page. A few years after graduating, she moved to South Florida. It was there that Diane dedicated many years early in her life to raising her children and working in the advertising industry in South Florida. She was very successful selling advertising for Harmon Magazine and BellSouth Yellow Pages. However, she felt like something was missing. In her forties, she decided it was time to follow her true passion in life- the Arts. She returned to college and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Florida Atlantic University. Her emphasis was on ceramics. She told people the first time she put her hands in clay on the pottery wheel she was hooked. Shortly after Diane graduated from college, her husband’s career caused them to leave Florida on what became an adventure for Diane. Over the next decade she would find herself in new cities with the opportunity to gain inspiration for her art. She lived in Dallas TX, Birmingham AL, and the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel hill “triangle.” Ten years ago, she returned to the Annapolis area. Diane saw each move as an opportunity to meet new people (mostly artists) and experience the local culture. Over the past decade her interests in the Arts expanded from ceramics to mediums such as, jewelry making, sculpture and painting. She also had a great eye for design and assisted friends and family in home design and remodeling. She loved to share her knowledge and talent with others. She would often partake in opportunities to teach at local colleges and events. Over the years, she joined many art organizations, and her work has been on display in many art shows and several books. She was an excellent networker and was well respected in the art community. Diane was a gifted musician who loved to entertain by playing her piano and singing. While she loved most types of music, she especially loved the music of the Beatles. She was lucky enough to see them in concert, twice. Nothing excited her more than to see these same artistic traits in her children, grandchildren, great-grandchild, niece, and nephews. She was immensely proud of her “family of artists.” Diane loved researching and experimenting with natural remedies and healthful living. She was an amazing cook and had a special affinity for fine dining. Everywhere she went she would order crab cakes. None ever compared to her favorite Maryland crab cakes. She loved warm weather and her absolute favorite place on the beach. COVID-19 caused her to postpone a trip to Italy, a lifelong dream to see the place of her ancestors. In 2021, as it looked like travel restrictions due to COVID were waning and she would finally get to Italy. Unfortunately, she was not feeling well and collaborated with her physician to try and diagnose the problem. In January of this year, an MRI detected a tumor on her brain stem, the part of the brain that regulates many body functions including breathing, swallowing, and heart rate. After much testing, the neurologists at Johns Hopkins said the only way to determine what type of tumor she had was to do a biopsy. This major surgery was conducted and while initially her prognosis was favorable due to the type of tumor, the location of the tumor was causing symptoms that proved to be fatal. A “Celebration of Life” in Diane’s honor will be May 14th at 3:00 p.m. - 206 Harbor Lane, Queenstown, MD. For information, please email dewcol2022@gmail.com In lieu of flowers, Diane would have loved to have contributions mane to House with a Heart Senior Pet Rescue at www.housewithaheart.com/remembrance-and-in-honor-of-cards/ The family would like to express special thanks to the doctors and nurses at Johns Hopkins who did they could to help Diane. “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.” ? Maya Angelou

Diane Evangelista Wood

March 28, 1951 - March 26, 2022