In memory of

Anastassia Kapodistrias

November 14, 1926 -  July 31, 2019

Anastasia Kapodistrias, daughter of Ilias and Konstantina Maniatis, and born on the 14th of November 1926, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 31, 2019. She grew up in a small village, numbering a dozen or so homes, within walking distance of the town of Kalamata. Her parents were landowning agrarians and Anastasia, from a very early age, became her father’s most loyal and trusted worker. Her formative years involved an immersion in and appreciation of nature that turned into a kind of wisdom whose depth can scarcely be comprehended today. She carried the wisdom of how to grow food for people from her father and how to use herbs to heal and help people from her mother, and was eager to pass that on to her own children and grandchildren. Despite the fact that her children were never farmers and lived in times of modern medicine, the seeds of her knowledge are evident in their gardens and in the use of home remedies. In 1949, Anastasia married Theodoros Kapodistrias and moved to the town of Kalamata. They lived in a tiny two room home where in 1951 she gave birth to fraternal twins, Spyros and Panagiotis. Following in quick succession were the arrivals of Effie, Konstantina and Ilias. As for many post-war Greek families, financial circumstances made it necessary for this mother of five children to leave her home and together with her loving husband, embark on a new adventure, finding herself in Toronto’s Cabbagetown in 1964. The first couple of years were hard on everyone but especially so for Anastasia. When she first arrived to Canada, she worked in a factory involving long bus rides, and sometimes, in the Toronto of the 1960’s, just trudging through snow. There were many struggles and difficulties she faced and had to overcome. In one instance, after having found a new place to rent, the family was rejected by the landlord because having five children in the dwelling was simply not acceptable - meaning that they had to pack up their belongings once more and return to their previous place, on the same day. Eventually, they saved and bought a home in Riverdale for the family. At one point, Anastasia found a job in the kitchen of Riverdale Hospital and it was there that she learned to communicate in English. Later on in life she would speak of her job there with great fondness. In 1972, she had her first grandchild and in 1999 the 14th and final one was born. Her legacy will last due to the impact she had on these grandchildren. She was a fierce protector of her children and grandchildren, to a fault. Besides her generosity and motherliness, she was a personality who, as a grandmother, evolved into a force of genuine pure love. Anytime she was with them (even as adults), she served as a simultaneous mother, doctor, teacher, and priest. She would comfort them when in pain, she would cook chicken soup from scratch when they were sick and she would show them the proper technique of cooking an egg or ironing a shirt or planting a garden. She was a confidant and would listen to their problems and worries and offer advice when they couldn't even tell their parents or closest friends. She was always there for her grandchildren and would never treat any of their problems as being trivial, even if she didn't quite understand herself why some of these problems should matter at all - she was still there to offer comfort and support because she knew that it mattered to them and because she wanted her grandchildren to be well and happy. That was it. It was pure love and we all loved her in return. Anastasia was predeceased by her husband, Theodoros and is survived by her children, Spyros and his wife Eleni, Panagiotis, Efstathia, Konstantina and her husband Chris, Ilias and his wife Susana. The biggest joys of her life were her fourteen grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Visitation and Service will be held at Pine Hills Cemetery (Birchmount and St. Clair E.) on Tuesday, August 6, 2019 from 6 pm to 9 pm (Visitation) and Wednesday, August 7,2019, at 11 am (Service). In lieu of flowers, you may consider donations to Sick Kids Hospital.

Guestbook 

(5 of 8)


Kelly, Leon, Konstantinos Alexandra Tsapralis (Family friends)

Entered August 5, 2019 from Toronto

Please accept our most sincere and heartfelt condolences as you mourn the passing of your dear mother Anastasia. She was a most wonderful, kind, generous and loving woman. Her warm smile will be missed. May she Rest In Peace and may you find solace and comfort in the cherished moments and memories you had with her.
Ο Θεός να την αναπαύσει και ζωή σε σας.
Με όλη μας την αγάπη
Λεωνιδας, Καλλιόπη, Κωνσταντίνος και Αλεξάνδρα

Theo McLaren (Artist friend of Tina's)

Entered August 6, 2019

Dear Tina
I am sorry I cannot make it to the funeral but wanted to send you and all your family sincere condolences on the loss of your mom.
Tina I know you were always devoted to your mom and her needs. We talked about her often at the art club on Mondays. I met her once at our art show and she seemed a lovely lady.
I now know where you get your great cooking skills from too!
My thoughts are with you and your family.
love
Theo

Nedda & Delia Zaharelos (cousins)

Entered August 6, 2019 from Toronto

Thia Tassia will always be in our hearths.

Kathy Dimitrakopoulos (friend of family)

Entered August 6, 2019 from Toronto

We are so sorry to hear of your loss. I remember your mom very well growing up in Toronto. It was great to see Tina and mom recently at their home. I will treasure the memories of her warm heart and kindness. Big hugs to the family xoxo

Oliver Borgers (Friend of Ilias)

Entered August 6, 2019 from Toronto

Catherine and Oliver send their condolences. Oliver has fond memories of the times he met Mrs. K. Our thoughts are with the family.

Photos 

(1 of 1)