Our dear friend and Kytherian Society of California member Bessie Gianakos, passed away on December 25, 2015. Funeral services were held on Monday, January 4, 2016, at St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church in Covina, CA, with cemetery services following at Oak Park Cemetery in Claremont.
Bessie was born in Fall River, Massachusetts. She lived in Claremont, in Southern California. She never married and had no children. Education was important to her. For decades she worked at Honnold Library, which is a part of the Claremont Colleges.
Bessie often joined us for outings in Southern California including our KSOCA gathering when George Poulos visited from Australia in 2007, trips to the Getty Villa, and dinner get togethers. She was a member in good standing and faithfully contributed to our scholarship fund.
Bessie’s Kytherian background stems from her mother’s side of the family which was Zantiotis from The Vouno. To’ Vouno is a very small hamlet of about 5-6 homes which lies just out of Karava on the Agia Pelagia Road. She also had Panaretos and Neofotistos on her family tree and was pleasantly surprized to discover she is probably related in some way to our Secretary Melissa Neofes-Mischak.
Bessie was one of the nicest people you could know. She always had a smile on her face and never complained about anything. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.