Ekaterini (Katina) Betsos was born to parents, Spiridon Anassis & Iphigenia (Eugenia) Kalamvaki. Katina Betsos, passed away peacefully, on Sunday April 26, 2020, at the age of 91 years.
Katina was the eldest of five children and was raised on Samos, Greece. As a young girl, Katina enjoyed school and was a good student. In her later years, she would often reminisce about important life lessons taught by her teachers, parents and grandparents. Katina helped raise her brothers and sister, while working alongside her parents on the family farm. She married George Betsos (of Constantine Betsos & Grammatiki Nikitakis) on Feb 12, 1950. The newlyweds welcomed their daughter, Kiki, into the world a 18 months later and continued to work hard on their own farm, while saving up for their big move to Toronto, Canada by 1954.
In Toronto, Katina embraced the many hardships and challenges of being an immigrant in a foreign land. She became a talented seamstress and fulfilled a promise made to her father to sponsor all her siblings to join her in Toronto. By 1957, Katina welcomed her son, Constantine (Kosta), into the world and was reunited with her three siblings in her home.
Katina kept busy being a wife, raising her two children, three teenage siblings, running the household, babysitting and being fully employed. She worked as a seamstress for 33 years until her retirement in 1987. Katina was a strong willed, independent woman with many friends. Very family and community oriented, she enjoyed going to Greek dances, church events and family functions. She was a welcoming soul, whose door was always open for a great home-cooked meal and a chat served with her unforgettable home-baked desserts. The Samian Society of Pythagoras was founded in her house by her husband and others. She was a proud member of The Annunciation to the Virgin Mary, Greek Orthodox Cathedral. She enjoyed sewing, crocheting, embroidery, but especially gardening. Her beautiful plants filled her garden & home with life, she always said she loved them like her children. Katina enjoyed travel, especially visiting extended family in Western Canada, Washington state, Oregon and Greece. In winter, Cuba was her favourite vacation destination.
Katina was a loving, supportive and self sacrificing mother and will be greatly missed by her children, Kiki, Kosta and daughter-in-law Kathleen; her two grandsons, George, and Alex, who always brought her so much joy. She would sit with them endlessly and discuss different topics and was always interested in their lives and giving sound advice. Katina is also survived by siblings Demetrios, George (Eleni), Stella Rangoussis (Nick), and many nieces & nephews. She was predeceased by her husband George Betsos, her brother Emmanuel. It is a comfort to know she is reunited with family again. We who remain, are her Canadian legacy: a risk she bravely took that has prospered many family members & friends. May we forever remember her sacrifices, charity, faith and love. Christ says to such a soul: “Well done my true and faithful servant, enter into my rest.” They that have laboured in Christ, now rest in Christ and await the Resurrection of the Dead and the Life of the Ages to come. Aἰωνία ἡ μνήμη.