John Divers

John Daniel Divers entered the fullness of God’s presence on Thursday, April 16, in Wilmington, NC. Born September 9, 1927, in the mountains of Roanoke, VA, “JD” grew up in a laughter and music-filled household with his parents and three siblings. After graduating co-valedictorian from William Fleming High School in 1945, he enrolled at the University of Virginia but after his freshman year he was drafted to the Army for post war duty in Germany. John returned to college in 1947 to continue studies in chemical engineering but soon realized that his heart was not in it, and after a brief detour as an English major, he ultimately graduated with a B.A. in Religion in 1950.

In the Summer of 1950 before beginning his studies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, John made a silent vow to God that he would be willing to serve elsewhere in the world. After graduation in 1953, he accepted a two-year internship at the First Baptist Church of Charlotte NC. In the summer of 1955, he entered the Pastoral Care clinical training program at NC Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC. which he found to be a liberating, transformative experience. That Fall he met Mary Evelyn Divers, Director of Children’s Education at the First Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, unaware that she would become his wife 4 years later. In January 1956 a head-on collision confined him to a hospital for 28 days. The injuries he sustained would have repercussions on his health later in life, but the experience “heightened his joy in living”.

John eventually reconnected with Mary Evelyn and when he finally proposed to her, it was not with one question, but with two: “Will you marry me?” and “Will you go to the mission field with me?” After marrying in 1959, they served at churches in Flint Hill, VA and Waynesboro VA until 1965, when they were appointed as missionaries to Argentina by the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and embarked on the adventure of learning a new language in their 30s and then a two-week journey by boat from New Orleans to Buenos Aires in 1966. By then they had two children, Jeffrey and Ellen, and no inkling that a third, Betsy, would join the family when John was 45.

John’s ministry was varied – as pastor, chaplain to both university and grade school students, and occasionally teaching seminary courses. He’s remembered as a good listener, counselor and a steady presence in the important moments – including being emergency chauffeur to one woman for the births of three of her children! When he wasn’t working, he enjoyed reading, playing tennis, gardening, home improvement projects, and taking in the beauty of the world around him. He had a way with language – both written and spoken – and always enjoyed a good play on words!

After 26 years in Argentina, Mary Evelyn and John retired to Roanoke, VA. where John fulfilled a dream of building a house (designed by his architect brother-in-law, Tom Silcox) and transforming his front and back yards into a garden sanctuary. In the meantime, Mary Evelyn decided retirement was perfectly suited for full-time employment which enabled them to pay off the house! It was during their years in this house that they began to experience the joy of having granddaughters, Alyssa and Lexie.

In 2013, John and Mary Evelyn made their final move to Raleigh, NC, to be closer to their daughters. After Mary Evelyn’s passing in 2016, John continued to live independently for another 8 years, reading, studying Italian and German, and enjoying life in the company of his family. His final two years he dealt gracefully with the consequences of a car accident which dramatically curtailed his freedom. As he approached the end of his life journey, he fulfilled two wishes: to see another Spring and to visit the beach one more time, unaware that he would leave this world on that final trip with his children by his side.

John was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Evelyn Divers; parents, John and Dillard Divers; sister, Virginia Ann Silcox and her husband, Tom; sister, Betty Jane Overby and husband, George; brother, R. Donald Divers; granddaughter, Alyssa Grace Divers. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Jeffrey A. Divers and Theresa W. Beech of Rockville, MD; granddaughter Alexa Noelle Divers of Palmyra, VA; daughter and son-in-law, Ellen R. Divers and Greg M. Martin of Raleigh, NC, and daughter and son-in-law, Ann Elizabeth (“Betsy”) Divers and Christian G. Gómez of Durham, NC; sister-in-law Barbara Divers of Roanoke, VA; and many loving nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of John’s Life will be held Saturday, June 13, 2026 at Greystone Baptist Church, 7509 Lead Mine Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615. All are invited to share and hear stories and sentiments about John at 2:00 pm. The Memorial Service will begin at 3:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, we invite you to consider a donation to any of the following that would honor Dad’s memory:

Springmoor Endowment Fund: https://springmoor.org/about-us/endowment-fund/ for residents who have exhausted their own financial means through no fault of their own continue to benefit from the comfort and security of home and healthcare, thanks to the selfless generosity of others. Dad spent 13 years of his life at Springmoor where he enjoyed the beauty of the mature landscaping and the care of the kind nursing staff at the Stewart Health Center.

The Jesus Film Project: https://www.jesusfilm.org/dev/nda/grants/jesus-film-project-branded, a ministry Dad valued greatly.

The Alyssa House, established in memory of John’s oldest granddaughter to provide free housing for the out of town families of children who require long term hospitalization. Checks should be filled out to Virginia Organizing with "The Alyssa House" in the memo field and mailed to:

The Alyssa House

P. O. Box 4281

Charlottesville, VA 22905

ONLINE donations can be made at: https://virginia-organizing.org/donate/

Click Donate! and select "The Alyssa House" under "I want my donation to be designated toward".