Obituary of Sotiria Pantelopoulos

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It is with profound sadness we announce the passing of Sotiria Pantelopoulos (Pontikes) on June 21, 2023.  Sotiria left us peacefully, surrounded by her loving family.

Sotiria is survived by her loving children, Leo Pantelopoulos (Karen Hackl), Vicki Pantelopoulos (Claude Poirier), and Nick Pantelopoulos; grandchildren, Yianni Pantelopoulos and Jonathan Poirier; sisters, Niki Kolitsas, Dora (Sotiri) Platanopoulos, Olga (George) Adamopoulos; and numerous nieces and nephews. Sotiria was predeceased by her loving husband John Pantelopoulos; parents Nikolaos and Maria Pontikes; sisters, Georgia (Konstandinos) Tsoulos and Athena (Kyriakos) Maroudis; and family members George Kolitsas, George (Sophia) Pantelopoulos, Tim Pantelopoulos, Mina Zaxaropoulos, Dimitria (Andy) Maragos.

Sotiria was born in Kastri, Kynourias Greece, March 1, 1942. Like many of her generation, shea came from a loving, humble family of 6 sisters and often shared warm memories of her upbringing in Greece.  Growing up in a mountain village, Sotiria was very close with her sisters and had many happy family moments. Following her grade school, Sotiria was chosen to attend the Vasiliki School on the island of Leros and continued her studies on the Island of Samos.  Few were chosen to attend this program.  Sotiria cherished the memories of her time at these schools and would often share her stories with her family. 

At the age of 19, she decided to join her sisters for a new life in Canada.  Sotiria boarded the ship Olympia in Piraeus Greece and two weeks later arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax. Her journey continued west with a long train ride to Regina to reunite with her sisters. Sotiria started to work in the service industry at the La Salle and the Georgia Hotel as a server.  Later in her career, she worked at the Hotel Saskatchewan for many years. At the encouragement of her future sister in-law, Sotiria was introduced to John and 2 years later they become husband and wife.  On April 28^th, 1963, there was a double wedding with John and Sotiria along with her sister Niki and her fiancé George at the St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church.  This was the start of her new family. 

Throughout the subsequent years, Sotiria proudly participated in the Greek community.  She was a long-term member of the Philoptochos Society and the Daughters of Penelope.  Sotiria always enjoyed the peaceful feeling she would get from attending church services. She was a kindhearted person and provided a calming presence to those around her.  She always made sure her home was open to anyone and ensured everyone felt welcome.  She dearly loved her children and was very proud of their accomplishments. Up until the end, her happy demeanor and contentment shone through.  We will deeply miss our mom, grandmother, aunt, sister, and friend.  Her legacy lives on in her children and all those who were touched by her gentle loving approach to life.  She will always be remembered and never forgotten.

The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the healthcare professionals who have been involved in Sotiria’s care throughout her health journey, with a special thank you to Dr. Kathy Kontsiotis.  We also are so grateful for all the love and support of our family and friends, and for the guidance and spiritual support of Father Spiridon Vandoros.

A Funeral Service will be held at St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church, 3000 Argyle Road, Regina, SK, on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church (https://gocregina.com/donate/).