Marion K. Chance 1941-2025

Marion was born Sept. 14, 1941, in Youngstown’s Smoky Hollow, a daughter of the late Martin J. Farkas and Mary Trojack Farkas.

Marion graduated from Ursuline High School in 1959 and then began a career in the offices of area grocery stores, where one day she fell victim to a matchmaking manager who introduced her to a co-worker, Joseph Chance of Youngstown. And then, the real adventures began.

After marrying on Nov. 27, 1965, the couple spent several years in Virginia on Joseph’s military assignment but ultimately returned to the Youngstown area in 1967. Over the next 59 years, Marion relished the role of housewife and mother.

She was most comfortable living a quiet life and relaxing at home, cheering on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and New York Yankees during their seasons, and following the news of the world as it happened. She freely admitted that, despite this quiet life, she found a way to live an interesting and entertaining number of lives as confidante to her five children. Through her daily conversations with them, she experienced life as a healer, a traveler, an artist, a musician and an entrepreneur. And that’s just the way she liked it.

Even with all this daily excitement, Marion’s personal passion and mission was her Catholic faith — in God, Jesus, Mary, every saint and everyone she held dear. It is well known in the family, and possibly a point of teased affection, the vast number of religious organizations that received donations from Marion on a monthly basis.

Late in Marion’s life, after the kids grew and “Mommy,” “Mom” and “Ma” became either too awkward for 30-year-olds to say in public or too formal for an otherwise informal parent-child relationship, Marion gained the nickname “Moot” — an abbreviated version of “mother” in German. While she never suspected the double meaning behind it, it was not coincidence that the nickname also reflected Marion’s desire to stay out of the spotlight at all costs and have someone else do the speaking. In her mind, her contribution to the world was moot.

The truth, however, is that the following people strongly disagree: Marion leaves her husband, Joseph A. Chance of Austintown; five children, Barbara (Paul) Welch of Rushville, Joseph (Kathleen) Chance of Napierville, Illinois, Dieter Chance of Austintown, Dean (Colleen) Chance of McDonald and Kurt Chance of North Jackson; three grandchildren, Danielle Clute of North Olmstead, Jenna (Steve Knezevich) Chance of New Middletown and Alexis Chance of North Jackson; two great-grandchildren, Addyson Grace Chance and Carter Clute; a brother-in-law, Nicholas (Kim Winkleman) Chance; and many cousins and close friends too numerous to count but nonetheless loved.

Vaschak-Kirila Funeral Home handled all of the arrangements for the family.

Private funeral services were held 10 a.m. April 5, 2025, at Vaschak-Kirila Funeral Home, Youngstown.

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