MIRIAM MAHALA SANTMYER's Obituary
The Life of Miriam “Mahala” Santmyer
Miriam “Mahala” Santmyer, 80, of Winchester, Va., went home to be with Jesus on January 21, 2026 in Winchester’s Hospice House, following a 15 month battle with cancer. She was surrounded by loving family when she breathed her final earthly breath and began breathing the air of heaven. She desired nothing more than to be with Jesus.
Mahala was born on March 4, 1945, in Camp Shelby, Mississippi. Her parents were the late George and Majorie Snyder. After graduating from Cedar Lee High School in Fauquier County, she toured the United States and Canada as a singer in various Evangelistic Music groups. Later, Mahala discovered a passion for real estate. She took great satisfaction in finding the right property for the right client and moving people from where they were, to where they needed to be. In 2001, Mahala and husband, Larry, founded Church of New Beginnings. Pastoring the church became her greatest passion. As in real estate, Pastoring allowed Mahala to move people from where they were, to where they needed to be.
Mahala was defined by her unshakeable faith in Jesus, her quiet strength and unwavering devotion to family. A favorite pastime was sitting in her “prayer chair,” with a hot cup of Constant Comment tea, while she studied her Bible, prayed, worshipped, and journaled. She was an avid reader of leadership studies and mysteries. Hala’s home was always warm and inviting, from decades of curating the perfect art for this wall, and the perfect lamp for that table. Her gift of homemaking remains unmatched. She was a Pastor, teacher, mentor, discipler, singer, visionary, and counselor. She was the heart and soul of New Beginnings and the loving Matriarch of her family. Her impact on the world around her is profound and her legacy, unrivaled.
She is survived by her beloved husband of 46 years, Larry Santmyer; her children Paul Secord Jr. (Dawn) of Nashville, TN, and Matthew Santmyer of Leesburg, VA; granddaughters Josephine and Reagan Secord; brother Ken Snyder (LuAnn); niece Kimberly Kelley (Ryan); nephews Tony Snyder (Savanna) and Tim Snyder, along with great nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, February 5th at the
Loudoun Funeral Chapel 158 Catoctin Circle, SE, Leesburg, Va.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
The funeral service will be from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.
Interment will follow the service at Ketoctin Cemetery in Purcellville, Va.
Memorial donations may be made to:
Shattered Hearts Restored
365 Muleskinner Lane
Martinsburg, WV 25405
Please share condolences online to the family at https://www.LoudounFuneralChapel.com
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