Katherine was born into the loving embrace of the Maillis family at their home in Brooksville, Florida. Hers was an idyllic childhood, surrounded by her siblings Mary, Tommy and Nicky and in the comfort and security of this small Southern town.
A trip to Greece and the island of Kalymnos was planned to aquaint children with their grandmother and allow them to better understand Greek culture and island life. The trip ended abruptly when the world went to war. The children returned to the safety of the family and Katherine returned to enroll at Hernando High School.
Always more a romantic than a scholar, her attention was soon distracted from books by the presence of a young cadet from the newly minted Army Air Corps. Introduced by Mike Billerakis, this handsome pilot would fly into Brooksville, dip his wings as he flew over her high school, and under the watchful eye of Irene Billerakis, he would begin a courtship which was to change their lives forever.
Hernando High could not compete for her attention and on January 8,1945, Katherine Maillis and Nick James Tsacrios were joined in marriage by Rev.Th. Karaphillis at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Tarpon Springs.
She traded a life of peace and stability for one of dynamic change and the excitement of new places. She became the perfect military wife as the family grew to include Irene and James and moved to live in cities across the country and across the world.
She adjusted perfectly to the challenges of military life and participated in all the social and service requirements expected of the wives of career officers. She had excellent taste and was able to create the “family home” almost overnight, no matter where the “family home” might have moved. She could make a “crazy hat” with the best in the wives club. If one wife had a figure playing a bouzouki, she would have the entire nightclub scene – bandstand, patrons, tables, even a drunk guy on the floor. She was a great cook, a good hostess, and she loved entertaining.
She enjoyed her life and made it more fun for everyone around her. She brought a ready smile and good energy to almost every activity – a trip to the beach, a dinner out, the theatre, movies, nightclubs, shopping, cruises, salons and side trips.The side trips could be anywhere from near by Greek Islands to the great cities of Europe, from the Holy Land and the Middle East to islands in the Caribbean.
She was sensative, compassionate and generous in her philanthropy. She gave to many charities and worthy causes, but consistently, over the course of almost forty years, she supported Kalerion Home for Girls in their efforts to provide housing, education and doweries for disadvantaged young women from all over Greece.
In her later years she suffered great pain and prayed daily for release. Perhaps she was specially favored as she received an answer to her prayers and passed peacefully in her sleep at the stroke of midnite on Greek Orthodox Good Friday.
Her niece, Irene Psilinakis, recently observed:
“His presence in her was apparent in all ways…in her love and laughter, in her kind words and actions and in her sensitivity and compassion. She had the ability to empathize with those in distress and knew how to lift them up with words of encouragement. She was a source of joy for us all – family and friends.”
May Her Memory Be Eternal
Services:
St. Nicholas Greek Orthadox Cathedral
Tarpon Springs Friday April 28
10:30 Viewing 11:00 Service
To Katherine
It was not autumn
But it felt that way
It was not autumn
It was a Holy Day
The day that Katherine
passed away
It was not autumn
No colorful leaves upon the ground
It was not loud
Love
did not make a sound
It was the day
When peace
at last was found
It was not autumn
Autumn leads to spring
It was a Holy Day
A day that leads to everything
It was the day
Katherine heard her angel sing
And when she heard that glorious sound
With joy she flew for heaven bound
The place she yearned so long to see
Now rests in love eternally
Rest in peace
And send us your love
Your place in Heaven
So far above
Your home among the angels live
Our love and prayers
Are what we give
I miss you now
I always will
Your pact with God
In me fulfilled
Your memory now
Is what I treasure
My love for you
I can not measure
It is not autumn
It is Katherine’s spring
She sees the Son
and everything
How very happy she must be
To be with all her family
MCHSj
4.16.23
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Irene Psilinakis
April 20, 2023, 10:10 pm
Christ Has Risen. Easter 2023
Dearest cousins Irene and Dimitri, my deepest sympathies on the passing of your beloved mother and our dearest Aunt Katherine.
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Psalm 115:15) Recently I have been reading on the lives of saints and have noticed that some that
lived the true selfless love of Christ passed on Good Friday. Nothing happens by chance in God’s timing. For me it is a sign that your good mother passed from her bed of pain straight into the loving arms of her Resurrected Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I have that assurance as I remember one morning years ago when I visited her in Voula. I asked her if she wanted to receive Jesus into her heart as her personal Lord and Saviour. She consented and we both knelt by the couch in the living room and prayed the sinner’s prayer. She wholeheartedly invited the King of Glory to take His place on the throne of her heart. I believe that day her soul was regenerated and that day she was born again.
His Presence in her was apparent in all her ways, in her love and laughter, in her kind words and actions and in hrr sensitivities and compassion. She was a source of joy for us all – family and friends. She had the ability to empathize with those in distress and knew how to lift them up with a word of encouragrment. Our cousin Olga was especially enchanted and inspired by her presence. They understood and appreciated each other. Olga’s greatest joy was to be invited to stay over in Voula when your mother was there. When I would visit in the morning, alone or with George, we would have breakfast together around the table and the fellowship was beautiful. Amidst much love and laughter, Olga had a devout audience. She would recite her poems and sing to us in a state of exuberance. Memorable moments.
Rest assured, they are all together now, with your father, looking down from the balconies of heaven. They are in a better position to help us now than before as they can intercede directly to our Father on our behalf and know He will hear them.
The power of Love is stronger than death and as we remember our departed loved ones with true love they become resurrected in our hearts snd lives. All glory and praise be to our gracious Father and Lord.
I will be keeping you both in my prayers and my complete trust in the Almighty. He does work His miracles behind the scenes and He alone can turn all things around for the good. ALLELUYAH.
May the Risen Lord, the King of Glory, encounter you in this your time of grief and turn all your sorrows to joy, all your losses to gain and all your disappointments to pleasantt surprises.
Love and blessngs,
Your cousin Eirene and family
Lauren Boger
April 30, 2023, 3:21 pm
Heaven must have rejoiced big time when our yiayia went home yesterday. Though we are deeply saddened and profoundly impacted, we cannot help but look back on her truly amazing life with love and happiness.
Growing up, Yiayia was literally in every single happy memory—we spent every holiday with her, countless sleepovers at her house, and even summers in Greece. She never seemed to get upset, never annoyed, never raised her voice, always full of patience, love, support, and grace. She was truly the most beautiful person I have ever met, and to have her as the true matriarch of our family was such a huge blessing.
Everyone who knew her loved her. From the countless and labor intensive massive Greek feasts she lovingly prepared for us, to Easter baskets, birthday gifts, holiday celebrations, to college tuition, weddings, and trips—everything she gave was from a lovingly selfless place. A more beautiful soul simply has never existed. She was the absolute BEST yiayia and our lives were enriched beyond measure by her.
Sagapo Yiayia, and I will miss you dearly. There is no one better. I pray I will be half the Yiayia that you were. With all my love, forever, until we meet again in heaven ❤️
Christos Anesti