Mary Dianne Milligan

1943 - 2021

Mary Dianne Milligan

Princess Anne - Mary Dianne Milligan, age 77, of Princess Anne, went home to be with the Lord on June 16, 2021. Born on December 18, 1943, she was the daughter of the late Herman and Mary Smith and sister to the late Josephine Smith Shockey. Dianne was born and raised and spent a life well lived on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in Somerset County.

Dianne was a 1961 graduate of Washington High School in Princess Anne where she enjoyed many activities including sports, music, and was honored to be selected to the Maryland Girls State program. After completing school, she married her high school sweetheart and love of her life, Wilbur, to whom she was married for 57 years until his death in 2018.

As a young couple, Dianne and Wilbur began a family that would include 3 children to whom she was very devoted. As her children got older, Dianne went back to work and back to school, earning with honors her Bachelor's degree and certification as a teacher. Her career included decades of service teaching vocational education. She was a teacher in the field of Graphic Arts in both Somerset County Public Schools at the J.M. Tawes Vocational Center and later at the vocational school of the Eastern Correctional Institution in Westover, Maryland. Dianne was always committed to doing her work with excellence and was named teacher of the year in the Maryland Correctional Education Association. She was a caring and compassionate teacher, wanting the best outcome for every student and, after retirement, began an after-school tutoring program for elementary and intermediate school students.

Those who knew her best knew that her personal relationship with Jesus Christ was the center of her life. It was the desire of her heart to share that relationship with everyone she met. She served Christ faithfully in the work she did as a long-time member of Walker Memorial Church of God. She served in many ministries including as children's church teacher, youth ministry leader, couples ministry leader, as a volunteer at Hope Ministries feeding center, and also established a local chapter of a Christian 12-step program, Celebrate Recovery, at her church.

Dianne served selflessly to help so many people, events, and causes through her life that it would be difficult to name them all. She was a make-it-happen, get-it-done, and give 100-percent kind of person. She was happiest when she was actively helping someone and giving of her many talents as a cook, florist, artist, teacher, administrator, graphic designer, singer, pianist, seamstress, or anything else she decided to learn to do. She loved travelling to new places and spending time with her family and her church. She was a treasure and will be dearly missed by her family and friends.

Dianne was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, mentor and friend. She is survived by her beloved children; David Milligan and wife, Karen; Rebecca Sylvia and husband, Brian; Steven Milligan and wife, Heather. Dianne dearly loved her five grandchildren Brandon and wife, Chelsea; Hunter and wife, Sarah; Jacob, Annaliese, and Morgan and her four great grandchildren Madison, Noah, Chloe and Saylor. She also leaves behind many other cherished extended family members.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 26, 2021 at 1:00pm at Walker Memorial Church of God, 11429 Hayman Drive, Princess Anne, Maryland. A visitation time will be held at the church prior to the service from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. A graveside service will follow the memorial at the Webster Family cemetery in Mt. Vernon, MD.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent in Dianne's memory to Hope Ministries, PO Box 205, Crisfield, Maryland 21817.

Arrangements are in the care of Hinman Funeral Home, P.A. of Princess Anne, MD. To express condolences to the family, visit www.hinmanfuneralhome.com.