Mark Allen Karagas, age 70, met our Lord and Savior on Sunday, April 2, 2023. Mark was a proud member of the community, having lived in Birmingham for more than 40 years. He attended Holy-Trinity Holy-Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral, and owned Diamond World Gemologist Jewelers in Hoover - with his then-wife Cristy - for most of that time. Born in Gary, Indiana, to John and Frances Karagas, Mark attended Merrillville High School (Class of 1970), Indiana University, and graduated from the Gemological Institute of America, in Santa Monica, California, graduating in 1976. He then helped run the family jewelry store, Alexia’s in Merrillville, before moving to Birmingham in the early 1980s. Mark was preceded in death by his father (1970) and mother (2020), and his brother, Kerry (2016). He is survived by his siblings, Celeste Underwood (Dan), of Fort Myers, Florida, John Karagas (Leigh), of Mountain Brook, Alabama, and Jim (Laurie) Karagas, of Hopewell Junction, New York, and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Mark had love of the Holy Spirit, of his family, of his friends and neighbors in Birmingham, and of gemology, a craft, vocation, and career that he endured and enjoyed for decades. He will be missed by all, and remembered as a loving heart who was always there for those in need. God rest his soul. May his memory be eternal.

: In lieu of flowers, Mark’s family asks that you donate to Holy-Trinity Holy-Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral, where there will be a memorial service for him on Monday, April 10, 2023 at 12 noon.