Evangelia Giannakos

With deep sadness and heavy hearts, the family of Evangelia Giannakos would like to announce that she passed away peacefully in her home on January 31, 2020 at the age of 89 years. Evangelia will be lovingly remembered by her son John; daughters, Margarita (Mike) Tabaka, Theodora (Del) Thurston, and Georgia (Gary) Leimert; brother Christopher (Evangelia) Sigalas in Athens; and numerous relatives and friends in Calgary and Greece. She was a loving yia yia (grandma) and enjoyed spoiling her grandchildren, John, Maria, Kristina, Angie, Louise, and two great-grandsons, Matteo and Alasdair, with her homemade traditional Greek treats, pastries and the best hugs. Evangelia was predeceased by her loving husband, Peter, on September 25, 1988; her precious son, Mark, on July 21, 2010, both of Calgary; as well as her sisters, Anna, Irene, Maria; and brother, Christodoulos, all of Greece.

Evangelia was born on April 23, 1930 in Vothonas on the beautiful island of Santorini, Greece, to parents Mark and Margarita Sigalas. Near the end of the Second World War, they moved to Athens, Greece, where Evangelia met her husband, Peter Giannakos. They were married in Athens on October 28, 1951. In 1955, Evangelia and Peter immigrated to Calgary, Alberta with their two children, John and Margarita. Upon settling in Calgary, they had three more children, Theodora, Mark, and Georgia. From 1977 to 1987, Evangelia and Peter proudly owned and operated Giannakos General Hardware & Grocery Store, located on 17th Avenue and 14th Street S.W. Evangelia also greatly enjoyed gardening and would spend hours sitting on her porch admiring the beautiful flowers she grew, especially her red roses, while drinking Greek coffee. Mom’s passion was cooking and anyone who came to visit was always greeted warmly with a huge smile and an abundance of her delicious Greek food. She took great pleasure in seeing everyone enjoy her cooking. She took enormous pride in guests asking for second helpings of her food – which was inevitably the case. She was a wonderful caregiver to many children who also affectionately called her “yia yia”. Many of whom remained in touch with her throughout their lives. Evangelia was a member of the Greek Orthodox Church and was actively involved in the Greek Community in Calgary. She especially loved her time volunteering at the Calgary Greek Festival. Even though she was a very small woman in stature, she had the heart, courage and determination of a Greek warrior. She survived bladder cancer as well as 8 heart attacks, all while maintaining her powerful faith in God. Evangelia will forever be in the loving arms of her husband and son.  

Relatives and friends are invited to Prayers at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church (1 Tamarac Crescent SW) on Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.  Funeral Service will be held at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church on Friday, February 7, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. with the Rev. Peter Rougas and the Very Rev. Dimitrios Rougas presiding.  Graveside Service to follow at Queen’s Park Cemetery.  Reception to follow at St. Demetrios Church Hall. Photos, memories and condolences may be shared with Evangelia’s family through www.evanjstrong.com.  If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to The Heart and Stroke Foundation (http://www.heartandstroke.ca). The family wishes to thank Dr. Emma Beeharry and her staff for their care and compassion.

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