Diann Vaughn

At peace and surrounded by family at home, Margaret Diann Tuten Vaughn, age 88, passed away on January 21 in Chandler, Texas. Her family is comforted by the fact that her contagious smile and capacity to love left our world even brighter than she found it.

Diann was born on October 10, 1935, in Jennings, Florida, the first child of William Robert and Margaret Elizabeth Scaff Tuten, where her parents owned Tuten’s Grocery Store, a mainstay in their small north Florida farming community. She was the valedictorian of her high school class as well as a talented basketball player. At age 17, she met the love of her life, George Truitt Vaughn, and the two eloped on January 29, 1953,to enjoy 62 years of devotion while raising four children. The family moved to Smyrna, Georgia in 1965 and to Marietta, Georgia in 1973. Diann worked at Bells Ferry Elementary as a secretary, while George was a teacher, coach and administrator, retiring from the Cobb County school system in 1982. After her own retirement, Diann continued to devote her time to her children, grandchildren and husband. She was a voracious reader, gifted seamstress, spirited Florida Gators fan in a Georgia Bulldog house, and an active church member, teaching Sunday School and attending First Baptist of Smyrna, First Baptist of Marietta and Noonday Baptist in Marietta, GA.

As parents, their proudest legacy was teaching their children of God’s love and instilling love of family. Both of these pillars sustained them through the loss of their teenage son Bobby to cancer in 1969. In turn, their greatest joy was their three daughters, who together took beautiful care of both parents in their later years. Diann was predeceased by her father in 1975, her mother in 2016 and her beloved George in 2015. She is survived by daughters Anne (Rick) Hopkins, Debra (Aaron) Toli and Kay (Alan) Lane. Nine grandchildren will miss Grandma: Ashley Everhart, Ian (Alexandra) Tapp, Ivey (Hermes) Crespo, Leigh Anne (Joe) Toler, Stephanie (Steven) Hamby, Vaughn (Paige) Hopkins, Kristine (Josh) Smith, Taylor (Katelin) Barton and Alex (Miranda) Barton, as will eleven great grandchildren: Abigail Hamby, Liesel Toler, Asher Toler, Amelia Kate Smith, Cullen Hamby, Truitt Smith, Ilaria Crespo, Lillian Hopkins, Liam Hopkins, Willow Crespo, Everett Barton and a baby girl expected in July.

She is also survived by her loving brother, William Robert (Linda) Tuten III and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Diann will be buried next to her husband and son. A chapel service will be held at 11:00 on Tuesday, January 30th at Georgia Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 2000 Cobb Parkway SE, Marietta, Georgia, 30060.

In lieu of flowers, memorials for Mrs. Vaughn can be made in memory of George Vaughn and Bobby Vaughn to The American Cancer Society www.cancer.org