On Saturday, October 3, Daria Troyan Varner of Indiana, Pennsylvania passed away peacefully in her home in the company of her children. Born January 13, 1936 to Michael “Micky” Troyan and Marie Felk Troyan in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, Daria moved to Indiana to attend Indiana State Teachers” College, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education in 1957. It was there that she met John Dee “JD” Varner whom she married June 28, 1958 and whom she now joins in heaven.
Daria is also preceded in death by her parents and her older brother, Vladimir “Laddie” Troyan.
She is survived by two sisters–Adria Schott and Kyra Niklewicz (Dave), her four children: Doug Varner, Greg Varner, Jocelyn Richardson (Mark), and Jennifer Frumkin (Ted) and her twelve grandchildren whom she referred to as “the grands”: John Richardson (Amanda), Alexander Varner (Elise), Olivia Richardson Gilliland (Josh), Maxwell Varner (Haylee), Joel Richardson, Madeline Varner Spearman (Ryan), Tori Varner Gallagher (Jack), Abby Varner Wensel (Floyd), Elle Varner (J.P.), Mason Frumkin (Savanna), Wiley Belle Frumkin, and Sam Frumkin. Daria is also survived by twenty-two great grandchildren (“the greats”): Luke, Zella, and Lincoln Daubenspeck; Grayson, Tucker, and Charlotte Varner; Abram, Daria Jane, Uriah, and Gracy Richardson; Alaina, Alisson, and Roman Spearman; Briggs, Izzy, and Rex Wensel; Lily and Violet Gallagher; Primo and Rosie Caldwell; Amelia Varner, and Conrad Frumkin.
Daria has been an active member of Grace Church since college, singing alto in the choir, leading the Christmas Craft committee, serving on the Pastor Parish Relations committee, and creating hand-painted signs and felt banners. She was an active member of her Wednesday morning Bible study, which she loved. A member of the Indiana Art Association, Daria invested in water color, oil painting, and calligraphy. When Luxenberg’s first opened, she designed the sign painted three stories above Philadelphia Street and continued to create their window displays for decades. Since the late 1960s, “The Tole Booth” was Daria’s ministry conceived to merge the redemptive dynamic of art and faith.
In all of it, she reflected the call of scripture to “use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms… so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ” (I Peter 4:10-11). Daria’s love for Jesus compelled her to invest regularly in prayer for others, in affirming correspondence, and in telling people about the good news of the Gospel. Just last week, she said, “I don’t ever want anyone to feel that they’re not included.”
A casual time of visitation will be held Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 2:00 pm in the parlors of Grace Church followed by a funeral service at 3:00 in the sanctuary. Interment will be at Greenview Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests offering a memorial donation in Daria’s name to Grace Church–the church she called home for over seven decades. Click the donate button at indianagrace.org or mail a check to 712 Church St, Indiana, PA 15701.
Robinson-Lytle-Shoemaker Funeral Home, 36 N. 7th St., Indiana, have been entrusted with the arrangements. To view the online obituary, sign the guestbook, or send condolences, visit www.shoemakerfamilyservices.com
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