Euterpe "Effie" (Dimakopoulos) Thomas of Dedham, formerly of West Roxbury, passed peacefully on April 4th, surrounded by her loving family at the age of 89. Beloved wife of the late Peter P. Devoted mother of Maria Thomas-Panagopoulos and her husband Andreas of Dedham, Donna Thomas of Dedham, and Cindy Thomas of Walpole and her finance Sam Pappas . Cherished sister of the late Jane Gavogianni, Theodoros, Irene Giannakopoulos and Nicolas. Loving "Yia Yia" of George, Effie and her fiancé Ryan, Stacy and Anna, and also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, in-laws and friends.
Born in Greece in 1928, Effie, the matriarch of the family, and her husband Peter, immigrated to the US in 1956 in search of a better life for themselves and their future family. Hard work, dedication and persistence made Effie and Peter successful restaurant entrepreneurs. However, Effie will be remembered more for her kindness and philanthropic giving towards those less fortunate. She gave of herself tirelessly here in the U.S. and throughout the world. As an example, during her travels, Effie would pack extra suitcases of clothing and essentials just so she can give it all away to those less fortunate on her travels.
Effie taught herself how to speak and write English and even sponsored and provided support to many family members to come to America in pursuit of the American Dream. One of her proudest moments is when she became a US Citizen. She believed strongly in education. Effie loved spending time in her garden and cooking for her family and friends. Anyone who had the pleasure to meet Effie fell in love with her. Her kindness, selfless nature, charismatic smile and laughter brought great joy to her family and those who knew her. Effie’s values and strong belief in her faith helped her in final days. She leaves behind a legacy of kindness and giving and will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
Visiting hours will be held Saturday morning from 11-12 at St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church, 39 Belgrade Ave., Roslindale, followed by a Funeral Service at the church at 12. Interment at Forest Hills Cemetery. Please, in lieu of flowers all donations can be made to heart.org. For online guestbook please visit thomasfuneralhomes.com Carroll-Thomas Funeral Home