Helene Gregory Provine

Vivi Diefenthaler was born Helene Gregory Vona on December 4th, 1943 in Frederick , Maryland.  She was a shy young girl who blossomed into a vibrant, spirit-filled woman of the Lord.  She was a true prayer warrior.  She prayed with people and reached out to people wherever she went.  She spent countless hours working with Jon, her husband, at Lutheran World Relief.  She was always attending Bible studies and working on her relationship and service to the Lord.  She introduced and nurtured that spirit in her grandchildren.  Her love and devotion to her family and the Lord was amazing to see.  She was blessed to be able to go on travels to the Holy Land, China, cruises in the Mediterranean and Russia, annual visits to Hawaii and many other destinations with her beloved husband and companion Jon.  Their wedding took place on February 3, 2001.  Being married to Jon further blessed her by growing her family.  Vivi gained 3 daughters, a son and 9 grandchildren.  She loved visiting them and watching them grow.  Beyond her spiritual life she was quite an athlete.  As a young girl she was quite the horsewoman, winning many ribbons and trophies.  She ran with the Howard County Striders for many years.  Often winning first in her age group at the running events.  She ran many marathons, even qualified and ran the Boston Marathon.  She was an advocate for older adults and worked many years with the Howard County Office on Aging.  She developed and ran creative and innovative programs for her senior clients.  As with everything she did, she gave it her all. Vivi made an impact wherever she went.  She connected with people, prayed with people and was a true servant of the Lord.  To say she will be missed is an understatement.  She is survived by her husband Jon, her 2 brothers and their wives Jimmy/Judy and Jody/Jayne, sister Rosemary/husband Bob, her daughter Kimberly/husband Tom, son Robert/wife Lena , grandchildren, Sarah, James and Bella and her step-children, Andrew/wife Beth, Katie/husband Eric, Heidi/husband Sam, Lisa/Tracy and their children, William, Henry, Luke, Chloe, Grace, Sammy, Sydney, Erin and TJ. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Lutheran World Relief, 700 Light Street, Baltimore, MD 21230