Annunciation Calendar

Special Announcments

June 2003

TEIA NURIS NAMED MOTHER OF THE YEAR

It was a fabulous “Spring-time in the City,” the theme for this year’s 44th annual Mother’s Day Luncheon and Fashion Show, Saturday, May 10, sponsored by the Annunciation Cathedral Philoptochos Society. The program, the fashions, the food, the decor, all just a cut above...done in good taste and with that special Annunciation style.

Just after Angie Leventis, president of the Philoptochos, opened the event with words of greeting, Father Stephen proclaimed Teia Nuris, 2003 Mother of the Year. (The Mother of the Year, as well as the Woman of the Year, named on March 25th, and the Father of the Year, named on Father’s Day, is elected by secret ballot by the Philoptochos Board. Father Stephen then makes the announcement, on behalf of the Philoptochos and the Annunciation Cathedral Community.) Below is Teia’s bio, which was read in part at the Mother’s Day Luncheon and Fashion Show:

Teia Nuris was born May 13th, 1930, in San Francisco, and was the first child of Arsenios and Anna Tamaras. Her father was a tailor who worked at fine men’s clothing stores and her mother was a homemaker who managed their home and raised Teia and her younger sister, Lula. The Tamaras family lived modestly in the Richmond District and occupied a small one bedroom apartment, which meant that Teia and Lula grew up sharing a Murphy wall-bed in the living room.

Teia attended Cabrillo Grammar School, Presidio Junior High School, and graduated from Washington High School. When in high school, she earned extra money by babysitting, working in a “five and dime” store as well as at the Emporium. After high school, she was employed as a secretary at California Physicians Service/Blue Shield.

Teia and Lula grew up during the Great Depression and, although money was tight, their parents always provided them with what they needed but, most importantly, raised them around the Church and with many friends. Teia attended Sunday School and Greek School and sang in the choir at Annunciation. When she was 18, Teia met the “man of her dreams,” Manuel Nuris, who had just gotten out of the Army and was attending the University of San Francisco. Four years later, when Manuel graduated, the couple was married at the Annunciation and, a year later, had their first child, Tom.

Manuel supported his young family as an employee of california Physicians Service/Blue Shield, where he worked for a total of 42 years. When Tommy was four, he was joined by his sister, Annamarie. The family lived in San Francisco for 10 years, next door to Manuel’s parents and sister, Anna Nuris Sanguinetti and, in 1962, they bought their home in Daly City. While the children were in school, Teia worked for 17 years in the cafeteria program of the local elementary school district. Although she had to be at work early in the morning, she was off when the kids came home from school and had the summers off to be with the children. Some of her co-workers have become life-long friends.

Teia has always been involved at the Annunciation, helping in many ways and is a lifelong member of Philoptochos, having served on its Board many times over the years. Teia and Charlotte Derdevanis operated the “White Elephant Booth” at the old Church Bazaars and, when our parish was at the Bausch and Lomb Building, she ran the “Bread Booth” during the early Food Festivals. Recently, she has operated the festival “Christmas Booth,” selling ornaments and decorations, many of which she makes by hand and donates. Teia is also known for her hand painted “decorative plastic eggs,” which she sells at her booth on Palm Sunday.

Together with Gus and Charlotte Derdevanis, 21 years ago, Teia co-founded the “Annual Crab Feed,” which they co-chaired for many years. This dinner has turned out to be one of our parish’s most successful and enjoyable fund-raising events, which always sells out and attracts more than 650 people from all over the Bay Area.

Family has always been Teia’s most important priority. She and Manuel have watched their family grow to include their wonderful son-in-law, Robert Balian and wonderful daughter-in-law, Liberty Spachis Nuris. They are especially proud of their five beautiful grandchildren: Nicole and Nicholas Balian, and Manoli, Andrew and Matthew Nuris. Approximately twenty years ago at the Mother’s Day Luncheon and Fashion Show, the Tamaras/Nuris/Ossipoff Family gathered at a similar luncheon which honored as “Mother of the Year” Yiayia Anna Tamaras. It is therefore even more meaningful as Teia follows in her mother’s footsteps by receiving this honor on this day.

Axia!|

FATHER’S DAY AND THE PROCLAMATION OF FATHER OF THE YEAR

Father’s Day this year coincides with the Sunday of Pentecost on June 15th. Pentecost for the Jews marked the fiftieth day of their journey, from Egypt, where they had been slaves, to Sinai, where they received the Ten Commandments. Pentecost for Christians marks the fiftieth day following the Resurrection. On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, empowering them and enabling them to go out into the world and preach the Gospel. Pentecost is the Birth Day of the Church. What a wonderful coincidence that we can honor our fathers on this day.

The Philoptochos, whose newly elected Board will receive its oath of office at the conclusion of the Liturgy, will offer a wonderful light lunch, in the context of the coffee hour, as we proclaim our 2003 Father of the Year. Plan to be with us.

PARISH ASSEMBLY HELD; NOMINATING COMMITTEE, BOARD OF ELECTIONS ELECTED

At the Parish Assembly held May 21, the above-mentioned committees were formed. The Nominating Committee, which will present a slate of candidates for Parish Council at the November 19 Parish Assembly, consists of: Anne Mountanos, Pat Destein, Helen Markanton, Maria Georgiou and Annette Chiappari.

The Board of Elections, which will prepare the ballots and oversee the elections, which will be held December 14, is comprised of Andrew Vellis, Ted Leventis, and Philip Chiappari.

STEWARDSHIP IN A BAD ECONOMY

By now, our sluggish economy has affected most of us in one way or another. We either know people who have lost their jobs or we have lost them ourselves. The generous cash flow that graced our lovely City a few years ago has been replaced with "For Rent" signs, Unemployment lines and blocks of empty office space. Although there are signs that things are improving, the progress is slow and comes with Orange Alerts and news of an unsettled world. We receive our pledge cards from Annunciation Cathedral in the mail along with electric bills and loans that we fear we might not be able to pay next month. We get calls to volunteer at church, but we’re worried and anxious and a little depressed because life seems so uncertain. Our response might be to pull back, hang onto what we have and wait to pledge or volunteer when life gets better again. The answer for us as Christians, however, is better served if we remember to open our hearts and give all that we can, especially during times likes these.

To begin with, on its most basic level, giving to our Church all but guarantees that our wonderful Cathedral will always be here for us, providing a refuge of comfort and support to our families and loved ones no matter what is happening in the outside world. Giving money to the church, to help maintain it, means that the lights will always be on and our children’s souls will be nourished because they have a safe place to play with one another and learn the values that are most meaningful to us.

Moreover, giving our time, talents and resources now means that we are facing our struggles as Christians by living in faith and not in fear. We are not dwelling in the anxiety of things that we can’t control; rather, we are coming together as a community and doing what we can. We are remembering our common belief that God has a greater plan for us and our only "real" job is to love and care and give to one another. We are putting our faith in front of us and looking forward to the blessed times ahead.

So even as our economy labors along, your Stewardship Committee will continue to urge you to give of yourself in any way possible. With all the monetary risks many of us took during the boom years, to put stock in maintaining Annunciation Cathedral and our way of life, especially during unstable times, is an important and sound investment with dividends that we will all see for many years to come.

Susan K. McLaughlin
Committee Member

STEWARDS: THOSE WHO SUPPORT (IN ANY ECONOMY)

Their numbers keep growing and growiing. Following is a list of additional members, who have pledged their support for the Cathedral:

We thank you for your support. We also thank our Stewards for taking seriously the notion of supporting the work of the church. Anyone can give; whether they give a large amount or a small amount is immaterial. But it takes a steward to support. Support includes giving. But is also means being there. It means involvement in the worship and in the work of the Church. It means making time. It means defending the church and the faith. It means making a difference. It means passing striving to remain true. It means passing on the legacy. It means, in a word, doing unto others what He has done for us.

Oops. Oops! For some reason, last month’s Herald listing of stewards omitted Bessy Xepoleas and Vasiliki Pappas. It was not the result of formatting, as happened the month before. In any case, accept our sincerest apologies for the omission. Both Bessy and Vasiliki are among the first to pledge their support, year after year. At the same time, please accept our sincerest thenks. It shows that you read your Herald.

Thank you for bringing these things to our attention.

LOUIS PAPONIS: A PROFILE

In the last issue of the Herald, we noted that Louis Paponis, a member of the Annunciation Cathedral, who had provided his services as Funeral Director, to the Annunciaton Cathedral community and the community at large, retired after fifty years. He was founder and owner of Mission Chapels Funeral Service. We asked Lou for some thoughts or reflections, which could serve as a reminder to his contemporaries, but also inspire future generations. This is what he had to say:

Five years ago, my wife and daughter began to talk to me about retiring from my beloved funeral business. “What, retire? ME? I could never retire.” And so it went, year after year. I even began to think about it. And every year I heard myself saying, “yes, this year I will retire.” But didn’t. Finally, so much began happening in my private life that moving into retirement became a reality. And so I retired...after 50 years, on December 31, 2002.

I regret being out of that special “loop” in the Greek community. Over the years, I have been privileged to know so many Greek families. Many of these families I have known since my early childhood in San Francisco. Others, I have met along the way. They all became my friends. Many allowed me the honor to serve them at the time of family deaths. I must tell you, however, that watching old and new friends pass on has been very difficult for me. Yet, Mission Chapels was the business of death and burials. I truly feel that the Lord above appointed me to this career. Serving people when they take this turn in their lives was a natural for me.

My life began 80 years ago in Los Angeles, the second son of Steve and Dina Paponis. We moved to the Bay Area in 1931, when my father took work as a butcher working for various markets in San Francisco. We were members of Holy Trinity when it was on 7th Street and, later, became members of the Annunciation Cathedral, where I have continued to be a member. At that time, we lived in the Eureka Valley.

The Depression was a difficult time for all of us. But my brother and I found work selling newspapers and working as clerks and delivery boys for several grocery stores in town. I had been active in the ROTC at Commerce High School and, when World War II broke out, I gladly enlisted in the US Army Air Force to serve my country. The injuries I suffered while in combat as a result of stepping on a land mine brought me back home. I had already served four years.

While recovering from my injuries, I trained in the manufacturing of plastics and opened my own shops, Plastic Palace and Enterprise Plastics. The day I attended the funeral of my dear father, I realized that my life could be dedicated to others in their difficult times, and so Mission Chapels of Pappas, Buzolich and Paponis was created at 435 Valencia Street. Then years later, I was able to buy out my partners and continue on alone as Mission Chapels.

In the early days of my career as a funeral director, I was able to offer to the Annunciation Philoptochos Society no-cost funeral services for the Greek indigents they were helping. When the costs exceeded my ability to keep costs down, I advised the Society how it could receive free services through the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science and the San Francisco Public Guardian and at no cost to the Cathedral.

Many people will remember the huge oil painting I had commissioned for the main chapel at Mission Chapels. It was of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane and it stretched from one side of the chapel to the other. I recall people admiring the painting and asking me to promise to have their own funeral services under the painting.

One of the highlights of my life came when I was asked to be a part of the weekend when Archbishop Iakovos came to San Francisco for the Enthronement of then Bishop Anthony. I had the thrill of meeting the Archbishop at the airport and, the next day, taking both him and Bishop Anthony to the Annunciation Cathedral for the Enthronement ceremony.

Today, in retirement, I find myself active in my home Atherton community. I am on the Board of Directors of the Atherton Civic Interest League and a member of the Town of Atherton Transportation Sub-committee. Along with my wife, Marguerette, we are members of the neighborhood advisory group to Menlo School and to Menlo College as they move ahead in redesigning their campuses. I have been appointed Coordinator of Memorial Services for deceased veterans at the Veteran’s hospitals in Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Livermore. And I have been able to spend time around our home building various structures like the garden shed Marguerette has asked me to build for her for the past five years. I especially enjoy running down to our daughter Dena’s new home in Altadena and helping her to remodel. Life after Mission Chapels is really pretty good.

People still say to me, even today, “You can’t retire. We need you.” And I reply, “it’s time to stop and smell the roses before they put them on top of me.”

I want to say thank you to so many I have had the privilege to work with over these past 50 years: my many Greek friends, the wonderful clergymen and their staffs, the Philoptochos Societies and the church volunteers and so many more. You have all rounded out my life to give me the true meaning of the “good life.” I am indeed grateful

Herald note: We are grateful, Lou. God bless you and your family, and keep you among us for many years. Axios!

RECENT SERVICES AT THE CATHEDRAL

BAPTISMS

Anastasia Olga, child of Demetrios Jim Peter Rakos and Kelly Donna Koutoufas, was baptized on May 3. Her sponsors are Constance Paris and Odysseus Berouklis.

Andrew Costas, child of Costas A. Vellis and Meena M. Mykris, was baptized on May 3. His sponors are Rudolph Karzmar and Christine Karzmar.

Henok Tesfay, son of Tesfay T. Gebremichael and Selamewit Beyene, was baptized on May 17. His sponsor is Samson Tesfamariam.

Nicholas Kiriakos, son of Aristotle Charles Kolokithas and Janine Wertheimer, was baptized on May 31. His sponsors are Steven and Elli Kavros.

Adian Alexander, son of Steven George Kolokithas and Marguerite Nicole Pence, was baptized on May 31. His sponsors are Timothy and Cynthia Mattis.

MARRIAGES

The marriage of Christopher Constantine Afendulis and Claudine Gay was blessed on May 24. Their sponsor is James C. Afendulis.

The marriage of Evangelos Peter Dekaristos and Maria Papadakis was blessed on May 31. Their sponsor is Anastasios Mavroudis.

Na Mas Zisoun!

FUNERALS

Michelle Marie Davies, who died May 17, was buried May 22. Next of kin are her father and mother, Michael and Rosemarie Davies.
Helen Frances Nichols, who died May 26, was buried May 30. Next of kin is her brother, Nick Christopulos.
Angelo James Pappas, who died May 26, was buried May 30. Next of kin is his wife, Mary Pappas.

Aionia afton i mnimi!
May their memory be eternal!

June 2003 Herald
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral.