Iola Darden

Iola Darden (nee Easton) passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 29, 2020 from complication of Dementia. Iola was born in Elicott City, Maryland in 1933 and moved to Philadelphia in the mid 1950's. She was affectionately known by most as Mom or Mom-Mom. Iola is best known for always being there for her family, friends and neighbors. For most of her life she worked as a bartender and as a housekeeper at the University of Pennsylvania. Nothing in life was more important to Iola then her family, and she dedicated her life to being the best mother to her children, grandmother to her many grandchildren, great grandmother to her continually growing number of great grandchildren. For her it wasn't babysitting her grandchildren and great grandchildren, it was a pleasure for her to have time to play games, do homework, make meals for them. She would spend hours playing Skip Bo, Phase 10 and other card games with them, sometimes multiple games with multiple grandkids at the same time. She loved to read and watch her Walker, Texas Ranger on T.V. She was always there to help anyone in need, no matter who they were. Because of her genuine personality, people who met her, instantly fell in love with her and became fast friends with her for life. She was a person that lit up any room she entered. She was the life of any party she was at. She was known as a second mother to many of the neighborhood kids and people she worked with. She is the wife of the late Richard Sr., devoted Mother of Sharon (Pat), Helen (Walt), Pauline "Ginny" (Jose Sr), Dawn (John), Richard Jr. (Cyndi), Doris (Bill), Michele (Jimmy), Michael (Gina), and Joseph Sr. (Denise). Proud Mom-Mom of Jose Jr "Joe", Sherry, Brian, Lisa, George Jr. "Georgie", Tiffany, Brittany, Richard III "Ricky", Amanda, Amybeth, Samantha, Jennifer, Allen, Lauren, Frank Jr. "Frankie", Heather, Jessica, Sean, Joseph Jr. "Joey", Eric and Drew. Adored Great Grandmother of Destiny, Jose III "Joe-Joe", Brian, Jayden, Alicia, Maylani, George III, Liberty, Gavin, Riley, Harley, Sean, Chase, Aubrey, Marlee, Wyatt, Jaelyn, Logan, Christian, Anthony, Kayden, Bryanna, DeMaya, Bryce, John Jr., Emma, Kora, Dean, Aidan and Isaac. Relatives and friends are invited to her Celebration of Life at the Slabinski Sucharski Funeral Home (Located at 2614 Orthodox Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19137) on Saturday March 27th from 12 noon to 1:30 PM. Words of Remembrance will begin at 1:30 PM.