Aspasia "Koka" Kalivas' Obituary
Aspasia "Koka" Kalivas (nee Marangaki), age 91, of Lorain, died Monday, May 1, 2023, at her residence while under the care of Mercy New Life Hospice.
Koka was born in Braila, Romania, in 1931 to parents Demetrios and Vasiliki (nee Giorgitsi) Marangakis. She moved to Athens, Greece, just before World War II with her parents and siblings. She lost both her parents early on in her life.
In 1956 she took the ship Queen Fredrica to Montreal, Canada, where she met the love of her life Zissis Kalivas. They were married in Norwalk, Connecticut, on June 17, 1961, at St. George Greek Orthodox Church. During their time in Norwalk, she worked for Sperry Semi Conductors. In 1968, they moved to West Acton, Ma, where all three children were born at the nearby hospital in Concord, MA. In 1972, her family moved to Lorain, Ohio, where she made her home for 51 years. She was an active member of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.
Koka was known for her passion for cooking and her love for feeding the kids in the neighborhood. For many years, Koka opened her doors to the kids in the community, sharing her delectable/delicious dishes with them, which were always made with love. Across multiple generations, kids in the neighborhood enjoyed Koka's warm, home-cooked Greek dishes and her unwavering kindness.
Koka's legacy lives on through the memories and experiences of those who knew her. She will always be remembered for her kindness, generosity, and delicious Greek dishes that brought joy to so many.
She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Zissis Kalivas; her children, Madalyn (Benny) Matos, Thomas (Tracey) Kalivas, and Demetra Kalivas; grandchildren, Melina, Mark, Zoe, Sofia, and Luca; two great-grandchildren, Giorgio and Eleni; step-grandchildren, Sierra, Shelby, Stevie, Olivia, Sage, and Sienna as well as her longtime friends, Lena and Harry Guidicelli, and Maria and Pete Epitropoulos.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Demetrios and Vasiliki (nee Giorgitsi) Marangakis; siblings, Anastasia Altioka, Niko and Gerasimos Marangakis, Paraskevi (Tzitza) Marangaki, Eleni Anemoudoura and Amalia Marangaki.
Visitation will be held at Dovin and Reber Jones Funeral & Cremation Center, 1110 Cooper Foster Park Rd. Amherst on Sunday, May 7, from 3:00 - 7:00 pm with Trisagion at 6:00 pm. The funeral service starts at 11:00 am on Monday, May 8, at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 2000 Tower Blvd, Lorain. Burial will follow in Ridge Hill Memorial Park, Amherst Twp.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church of Lorain, Ohio.
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