Date de Décès: 2009-10-28
Date de Parution: 2009-10-30
Source: The Windsor Star, ON
GAVRILIDIS, Alexandra (nee Vafiadis) Alexandra has left this life to be with her loving parents Panagiotis Vafiadis (1965) and Sophia Deligiorgis (1989). She will also be reunited in the Kingdom of Heaven with her loving sisters Marina Kalliope Varvatsoulis (1989) and Katina Papakonstantinou (1999). Alexandra has left behind her devoted and loving husband Evangelos Gavrilidis, her beloved and only son Stavros, her dearly beloved daughter in law Panayota (nee Mikha), her wonderful and beloved granddaughter Alexandra Maria. Alexandra was born on Dec 8, 1932 in the village of Skopia, Florina in the province of Makedonia, Greece. At a very young age she worked tirelessly with her sisters helping her father and mother work the fields producing crops of vegetables to make their living. Alexandra and her family survived World War II and later the Greek Civil War which terrorized their village burning homes and killing innocent civilians before their eyes. In March of 1962, Alexandra married Evangelos Gavrilidis of Drama, Makedonia Greece and together they had one son Stavros. In 1965 Alexandra's spirit was devastated with the sudden death of her father Panagiotis. In 1967, with the sale of the final parcel of an original 50 stremmata of land in Skopia, Alexandra along with her husband, son and her mother Sophia left Piraeus harbour nearby Athens for Canada. After a 15 day journey on the T.S.S. Olympia Greek Line they landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia and then traveling by train, Alexandra and her family arrived in Windsor, Ontario on Nov 27, 1967 to be with her sisters and their families. Alexandra started to work for her beloved sister Eleni and brother-in-law Eleftherios Vacratsis (2006) at Elef's White Tower Restaurant where she helped in food preparation and dishwashing. After purchasing their first home at Lincoln and Richmond, Alexandra, who was the seamstress of her village in Skopia, used her experience to obtain work at Nonencushion on Walker and Richmond; afterwards she worked for a number of years at General Motors trim plant on Lauzon Rd. Alexandra was proud to obtain her Canadian Citizenship in 1972 and enjoyed living in Windsor; she never returned to her home country again but never stopped loving her motherland Greece. In 1978, Alexandra and her husband built a new home in Forest Glade where they lived ever since. Throughout those years Alexandra worked tirelessly as a homemaker while also sharing the love of gardening with her husband as they grew a plethora of vegetables every year for family and friends to enjoy. Alexandra was a member of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church where she attended regularly until her health was affected by diabetes and from the passing of her beloved sisters Marina and Katina. She continued to pray daily in her home as her belief in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit never waivered throughout her life. Her happiness was restored with the marriage of her son to Panayota and the birth of her only grandchild, Alexandra Maria. YiaYia Alexandra loved her granddaughter as much as any grandmother could. It was not until Feb of 2009, that the severity of Alexandra's illness became evident as she was diagnosed with gastric carcinoma. After spending 2 months in Metropolitan Hospital, Alexandra was able to come home thanks to Dr. Jack Spears of Hotel Dieu Hospital who inserted a gastric tube allowing her to continue taking in nutrition so she could live on. Her husband Evangelos, worked tirelessly every day of the week to care for her, never leaving her side other than to buy groceries or attend the Greek Club for a breather. With the help of CCAC, Bayshore and Comcare Nurses, Dr. Olumide Makinde and Dr.Mathews at Windsor Regional Cancer Centre, Alexandra enjoyed the spring and summer of this year even in the midst of her ravaging illness. This fall, the illness took a turn for the worse forcing a return to Hospital. Even during this most difficult time, Alexandra was comforted by her family as well as Father Stavros Hatzis, the parish priest who brought her beloved orthodox church to her while she was in hospital. In Greece, Alexandra leaves behind her cousin Vasilis Deligioris and family of Meliti, Florina, Georgia Savaidis and family of Skopia, Florina, Dimitrios Vafiadis of Athens, Greece, Simbethera Koula Kremidas and family of Ionnina,Greece. Sisters in law Marika Sarigiannis and family, Elisabeth Mbezirtzi and family , Eleni Karakasidis and family, brothers in law Theodoros (2005), Georgios, Mixalis Gavrieloglou and their families, all of Drama Greece. Alexandra leaves behind here in Canada her beloved nephew Christos Papakonstantinou, her beloved niece Efstathia Pipitone and family, nephew Panagiotis Varvatsoulis, oldest beloved sister Eleni Vacratsis and her children Ioannis, Agesilaos, Maria and their families , friends Crisanthi and Georgios Diakantonis and family, Anastasia and Obrad Spanic and families, beloved family friends Georgios and Angela Kourletakis, son Mathew and families. Beloved simbetheri Elia and Maria Mikha, simbetheros Karim Bahoura and families from Detroit, beloved koumbari Mike and Eleftheria Mikha and family, beloved nona Helen Panayotakos and family, beloved koumbaro Dusko Daniel Dimovski and nona Stojana Dimovski. Ultimately, Alexandra's patriotism lasted until her last day as she left on Oct 28, 2009 on a holiday which we call "OXI" day; Greece's national ethnic holiday. Funeral services will held on Saturday, October 31, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church, 65 Ellis Road East. Father Stavros Chatzis officiating. Interment at Windsor Memorial GardensSagapo mama me oli mou tin kardia, ksero oti tha eisai me ton Theo, ton Isou Xristo kai tin Panagitsa, kai to Agio Pnemva sou tha mas profilagi panta, eonia tha einai n mnimisou kai pali se xereto, se filo kai sagapo ekatomiries fores mama. Sefxaristo yia ola ta kala pou ekanes yia emena kai yia olous mas, o agapimenos sou o yios. Anderson Funeral Home & Cremation Centre (519-254-3223) entrusted to arrangements.www.andersonfuneralhomewindsor.com Published in the Windsor Star on 10/30/2009