Obituary of Thelma Siriotis
Thelma (Theonie) Siriotis, formerly of Berlin – a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and the heart of her family – died Oct. 7 at the age of 93.
Thelma was born in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Raised in a traditional Greek family with her parents and two brothers, she found great joy in music and grew up playing the organ and piano in church at a young age. Later in life, she enjoyed listening to Big Band classics, and other favorite singers like Frank Sinatra and Kenny Rogers. After graduating from high school, she worked at Wachovia Bank. She moved up North to New Jersey and finally Connecticut after marrying her husband, Nick, in 1953. Though she spent the rest of her life in New England, where she loved lilacs blooming in the Spring and trips to Cape Cod with her entire family, her heart was always in the South and she never lost her Southern drawl.
She and Nick had five children, and Thelma dedicated herself to her family and home. She was widowed at 45, and soon after began a long career at New Britain General Hospital in the Human Resources department. She was friendly and welcoming – she was known for her bright smile, which extended to a sparkle in her green eyes – and was very well-liked by everyone she met. Life as a single mother was stressful for sure, but she had a quiet strength and determination to provide for her family, teach the importance of family, and her children always felt her love.
Throughout her life, her family was her center – and she was ours – even as she returned to work and later retired, and she found great joy in spending time with her children and grandchildren. She was an amazing cook, and her grandchildren often share their memories of her making delicious food and traditional Greek dishes, like Spanakopita and Avgolemono soup. As she aged and her memory faded, she continued to treasure holiday gatherings, occasional trips to North Carolina, phone conversations with her children, and she felt the importance of sending a simple but meaningful birthday card to a member of her family (which often meant trips to several card stores until she found just the right one!).
She spent her final years being cared for by her family in Coventry after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
She was pre-deceased by her husband, Nick Siriotis. She is survived by her daughters Lee Gregoras of Ridgefield and her husband Tony; Nicolette Petros of Old Saybrook and her husband Dave; Irene Siriotis of Glastonbury and her husband Bob; Denise Siriotis of Coventry; her son George Siriotis of Coventry and his wife Amy; as well as eight grandchildren, three great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
A private funeral service will be held at St George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Hartford. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
https://act.alz.org/site/Donation2?df_id=51079&51079.donation=form1&mfc_pref=T&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=paidsearch&utm_campaign=giving_bing&msclkid=8f86d0ec91d01ca33817b5cfa657bcbcom . For online condolences, please visit www.mulryanfh.com.