Ani Marie Diakatos of Wallingford, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully at home on April 22, 2026, surrounded by her family. She was 62.
Born on March 4, 1964, in Lansdowne, Ani held a special place in her family as the first child born in the United States after her parents immigrated from Beirut, Lebanon. Her education began at the Armenian Sisters Academy in Radnor before she continued in the Upper Darby School District, where she was an honors student.
She went on to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Risk Management from Temple University. While pursuing her studies, Ani also helped care for her two younger brothers, cooked family dinners, and helped keep the household moving. That sense of responsibility, quiet strength, and devotion to family remained part of her throughout her life.
Ani built a four-decade career in risk management and earned several professional designations, including CPCU, AINS, and AU, credentials that reflected her dedication to the insurance field.
Away from work, Ani had a creative, patient, and hands-on nature. She had a gift for sketching, especially horses, and became skilled at woodworking and furniture finishing. She restored antique market finds and gave new life to pieces that became part of the home she loved. In the garden, she found another source of peace, often sharing what she grew with family and friends.
The shore was another lasting part of Ani’s life. Annual family vacations in Wildwood, New Jersey, began with her father Noel’s love of gathering everyone together “down the shore.” Those trips became part of the family rhythm and remained close to her heart.
Ani was deeply connected to her family, her faith, and the Greek and Armenian community life around her. She is survived by her husband, Harry Diakatos, her children, Eleni and Tony Diakatos, and her brothers, Greg Zeibari and his wife, Arlet, and Ara Zeibarian. She is also remembered by her godchildren, Lilia and Armand Zeibari, along with her aunts, uncle, cousins, extended family, and friends.
A viewing will be held on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church, 35 North Malin Road, Broomall, Pennsylvania. The funeral service will follow at 12:00 p.m. at the church. Interment will take place afterward at Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, 1600 Sproul Road, Springfield, Pennsylvania.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Ani’s memory to Covenant House Pennsylvania, Philabundance, or St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church.