Dell Rosa Chalk

On May 27, 2021 Dell Rosa Chalk was called home by our Heavenly father. Dell is survived by Brad Chalk, her husband of nearly 25 years, her mother Rosamary Young, her siblings Ray Young, Bert Young, and Lyn Cook, her mother-in-law Audrey Chalk, her step children, David Chalk and Lisa Chalk, her step grandchildren Lily Chalk, Ben Chalk, and Isabel Velez, and her Thai daughter Cherry Torbunthong. Dell was preceded in death by her father, Delmar Young, and father-in-law, Joseph Chalk.

Dell was passionate about life and especially her faith in Christ. Throughout years of health challenges and suffering her faith always remained strong. She was a fighter, the comeback kid. She had an incredible ability to recover over and over from each major illness she faced. Her doctors were frequently amazed. She always gave all the glory to God for answering the prayers of many who loved her. She had an amazing peace during her last days. She always prayed for God’s will even if it meant He was calling her home sooner than she might have wanted.

Dell adored having David and Lisa as her step children and she cherished having Lily and Isabel call her “Grandma with the dogs.” She loved them all dearly and was looking forward to meeting Ben. A very special part of Dell’s life was Cherry, a Thai orphan girl whom she met during her first mission trip to Thailand. Over the years Dell and Brad and Cherry grew closer together. They consider Cherry to be their daughter and Cherry refers to them as mom and dad.

Dell absolutely loved her labs, Tessa and Niki. They brought great joy and comfort to her, especially during the times when she was not feeling well. They always had an amazing ability to sense when she needed comfort, and their daily antics never failed to bring a smile.

Dell’s favorite activity was traveling overseas with Brad. Over the years they made numerous trips to Europe, Thailand, New Zealand, Australia, and Hawaii. They celebrated their 20th anniversary traveling in Germany and were planning to return there in August to celebrate their 25th.

Dell was very loving and kind to everyone, including complete strangers. She was always ready to jump in and help or defend someone in need. Customers often thought she was a store employee because she would drop everything to help someone who looked like they were having difficulty finding something. Dell always made shopping an adventure for Brad or anyone who was with her.

In 2000 Dell traveled to Thailand with a mission team to visit a Christian children’s home that cared for orphans whose parents had died from AIDS. During the trip she felt the Lord was calling her into ministry. Shortly thereafter Dell, with her husband Brad, formed Isaac Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity, to raise funds to support Christian ministries in Thailand that provided care for orphaned or abandoned children. She led mission teams to Thailand for many years including three trips in 2005 to help children and families in the south that were devastated by the 12/26/2004 tsunami.

Beginning in 2002, Dell, with her husband Brad, also supported the formation of a nonprofit charity that raised funds to rebuild Zarghona High School in Kabul, Afghanistan, a school for girls that had been severely damaged by decades of conflict during which girls were not allowed to attend school.

As a Potawatomi, Dell was very proud of her Native American heritage. In a 2017 Native American naming ceremony Dell was given her Potawatomi name “Migwekwe” which means “She who gives things away.” Her last opportunity to travel was in August 2019 when she participated in the annual Potawatomi Gathering in Canada.

Dell was active in her community. She served as a board member of the Woodland Estates HOA and volunteered for several years as a Fairfax County Election Officer. She was very close to many of her neighbors whom she loved dearly.

Above all, Dell’s greatest love was for her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Being raised by strong Christian parents, Dell knew her Bible and never missed an opportunity to share her faith with others. She knew her salvation was secure, not because of her works or being a kind and loving person, but simply because she had accepted God’s free gift of salvation by repenting of her sins and believing that Christ died on the cross as payment in full for her sins, was raised on the third day, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. For all those who knew and loved her, Dell would want everyone to take comfort in knowing she is pain free and rejoicing in heaven.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

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A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, June 11 at Reston Bible Church, 45650 Oakbrook Ct, Sterling, VA 20166. A live stream link for the service can be found at the top of the church’s home page at https://www.restonbible.org/.

We feel very fortunate to have our Dell's Celebration of Life service with fewer Covid restrictions. However, due to the fragile health of some family members, we graciously request that our guests who are not vaccinated wear masks indoors and continue to practice social distancing. Thank you.