Georgia Yola Katopodis

Beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and matriarch, Georgia Yola Katopodis fell asleep in the Lord on February 5, 2021 in Tallahassee, Florida. Born in Greece, she lived in the United States most of her life and spent her last years in Tallahassee close to her son John and his family, Evi, Niko and Nonda. She met the love of her life, Nonda Katopodis at age 19. They married three years later and together, they dedicated their lives to having a family and raising their children John and Perry. They emigrated to Canada in 1955 and moved to the United States a few years later to pursue the American Dream. Yola was the quintessential mother and wife, and toiled for years with her husband to create a foothold in this country for themselves and their children. She worked as a laboratory technician at the New England Institute in Ridgefield, Connecticut performing research related to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and then for Oncomedics, a medical research company she and her husband founded. Yola valued education greatly. She went to night school to learn English, American history and culture, and throughout her life was a voracious reader. She was a mentor and example to many young women over the years, and shared her life’s view, and deep love of learning and the Arts with them, especially her granddaughter Christina. She was a strong and resolute person, and was able to surmount immense obstacles throughout her life. She valued other perspectives/points of view and treated all the people she met throughout her life, regardless of who they were and where they came from, with dignity, care and respect. She was beautiful, loving, accepting, courageous, and ever hopeful. Yola is survived by her sons John (Paraskevi Nikolaou) and Pericles (Cheech), grandchildren Christina (Erik), Niko and Nonda, and great grandchild William. She was preceded in death by her husband Nonda Katopodis (65 years), and siblings Mihalis Tsagridis and Vivi Spiliotopoulos. Please consider a contribution to the Tallahassee Memorial Foundation in her memory. A private graveside service was performed on Saturday, February 6, 2021 where she lays beside her beloved husband Nonda. Rocky Bevis of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the Katopodis family with their arrangements.

Tributes

Georgia Yola Katopodis

June 16, 1931 - February 5, 2021