Hwason C. Mayhall

Hwason "Lana" Chang Mayhall passed away in her Alexandria, Virginia home on September 2, 2025 at the age of 92. She was the beloved wife of the late William "Bill" Walker Mayhall, Jr., loving mother of Harry Mayhall, Karen Best (spouse of Dan Best), and Joan Mayhall; cherished grandmother of Natalie, Jacqueline, Frances, Daniel, and Allison Best. Hwason was born to a prominent family in Yonan City, Hwanghae Province, Korea on April 19, 1933, daughter of Myong Chang Chang who was mayor of the city and A-dam Lee Chang. She was the fourth of eleven children and is survived by her brothers Hoon Yong Chang, Kyong Koo Chang and sister Clara Min. She spent her childhood in Yonan while Korea was under Japanese occupation. After WWII, the country was divided by the 38th parallel and Yonan became part of South Korea. In 1950, the Korean War broke out and her family was forced to flee to the south and became separated from each other. After the war, the boundaries shifted and Yonan became part of North Korea. Because of this she was never able to visit her hometown again which was one of her greatest regrets. Her family eventually re-united and after some struggle managed to start a new life in the south. Hwason later found a job at the US air force base in Osan where she met Bill. They married in 1958 and moved to Bill's hometown of Cullman, Alabama. While in Cullman her neighbor Mrs. Schlosser introduced her to Christianity which she embraced and her new found faith became one of the most important aspects of her life. Bill was able to get a job with the DOD in Huntsville, Alabama where they purchased a home. In 1971 he was posted to Korea which allowed her to see her family again. After assignments in various parts of the world including two assignments in Korea, they moved to the Washington, DC area and purchased a home in Springfield, VA where they lived for 14 years and became members of Westwood Baptist Church. Bill retired from the DOD and they returned to their Huntsville home in 1999 where they remained until his death in 2011. In 2012 she made the decision to return to the DC area (Alexandria) to be close to Karen and Dan and her grandchildren where she lived for the remainder of her life. Hwason loved life and people and took pride in her country of birth and her adopted country. No one was a stranger and she could (and did) strike up the most intimate conversations with anyone. She was thoughtful to a fault and loved giving gifts. She loved music, dancing, and was a woman of many talents including juggling, harmonica, and had a wonderful singing voice which earned her many church solos. She was known for being fashionable with her own sense of style independent of the latest trends. She embraced the role of mother and grandmother and loved participating in her children’s activities. She was the life of any party and touched many lives. She is much loved by many and will be missed.

Tributes

Hwason C. Mayhall

April 19, 1933 - September 2, 2025