Norma Karaphillis died peacefully at home on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. Born March 26, 1931 to Nicholas E. Nicolaides and Frances Parzazis Nicolaides in Loredo, West Virginia. Norma was eight months old when her father moved the family to Athens, Greece. Since both parents were Karpathian, they spent all summers on the island of Karpathos.  When Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, Norma’s family moved to Miami via the Queen Mary’s last voyage before WWII. In Miami, Norma grew up in a closely knit, Greek-American community. She attended Shenandoah Jr. and Miami High. Very athletic, Norma enjoyed playing tennis, volleyball, and softball, and was a Miami Hurricanes fan.  In 1948, she met Mike Karaphillis at Epiphany in Tarpon Springs, and in 1952, they were married and moved to the University of Florida where Mike played football for the Gators. In 1958, Norma and Mike landed in Tarpon Springs where they raised their three children, Mary Frances, Johnny and Nicky. Norma was very active in the Greek community and was involved at all of the schools her three kids attended. She worked for the Pinellas County Health Department, and later was the director of the Neighborly Senior Services. In 2004, Norma was named Citizen of the Year for her dedication to Tarpon’s elderly population. But Norma’s greatest assets were the friends she made over the years. In 2018, she and Mike agreed to move to Flagler County to live out their lives with their daughter Mary Frances and her husband, Michael Gillespie, on the fulfilled promise that she was able to visit her girlfriends every few months. Norma is predeceased by Mike, her son Nicky and her grandsons Nicholas and Michael Constantine Karaphillis. She leaves behind her children Mary Frances (Michael Gillespie) and Johnny (Cindy); grandchildren Rhett Cowart, Michael John Karaphillis, and Alexandra Jones; and great grandchildren Nicholas Pappas, Brooke Karaphillis, Jude Jones, Anna Karaphillis and Noa Jones. Visitation will be held on Monday, February 20, from 10 am to 11am at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Tarpon Springs followed by services at church at 11 am. Burial is to follow at Cycadia Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to: Dobies Funeral Home Tarpon Springs, Florida.