Demitra
Demitra "Toula" Matsoukas
d. March 19, 2016
Demitra "Toula" Matsoukas, 88 years old, of Albuquerque, NM died peacefully on Saturday, March 19, 2016, with family at her side.
Toula was born February 22, 1928, in Avlona, Attiki Greece to Sotiria and Giorgios Sambanis. She was the youngest of five siblings. She grew up during the tumult of WWII Greece. Her father passed immediately prior to the war, and she was courageously raised with her siblings by her mother during a difficult and dangerous time. In 1950, she married her husband, Vasilios, in Avlona and they later moved to Kifisia, Athens. She was a talented seamstress and owned a small boutique in Kifisia. Encouraged by her sisters-in-law already in the U.S. and the circumstances of an unfolding military junta in Greece, Toula, her husband and children, Maria and Demitri, moved to Albuquerque, NM to start a life in the United States in 1967.
Throughout the years in the US, Toula had been, first with her husband and later with her daughter, a successful business owner and restauranteur in Albuquerque. From The Three Daughters Restaurant on University, to Mykonos Café on Eubank, and to The Saucy Italian Bistro on Juan Tabo. Toula shared her love of food and people through her cooking of Greek and New Mexican specialties at her restaurants. Her customers became friends and family. Everyone knew grandma/Yiayia. She is survived by her daughter, Maria of Albuquerque, NM; her sister-in-law, Yolanta of Memphis, TN; her granddaughters, Konstantina of Ellicott City, MD, Demitra of Prescott, AZ, and Georgia of Albuquerque, NM; her three grandsons-in-law, Bill, Shayan and Dominic; and by her two great-granddaughters, Katerina and Lucia. She is pre-deceased by her husband, her son, her parents, and her siblings.
She gave strength and was a rock to her family built upon the hardships and challenges of growing up during World War II in Greece and the move to a new country. She was always clever, cheerful, loving, and an inspiration to her family and family of friends alike.
The family is grateful to pallbearers, Dominic Serna, Bill Katcheves, Ken Jerkatis, Dean Constantine, Jim March, and Nik Armstrong for honoring Toula. Toula has been a member of St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Albuquerque, NM for 49 years. May her memory be eternal.
Family will receive friends on Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 6:00 p.m., with a Trisagion (Viewing) Prayer Service following at 7:00 p.m., at FRENCH - University. The Funeral Service will be on Friday, March 25, 2016 at 11:30 a.m., at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 308 High Street SE. Entombment will follow at Sunset Memorial Park, 924 Menaul Blvd NE. Please visit our online guestbook for Toula at www.FrenchFunerals.com.
FRENCH - University
1111 University Blvd. NE
505-843-6333
Toula was born February 22, 1928, in Avlona, Attiki Greece to Sotiria and Giorgios Sambanis. She was the youngest of five siblings. She grew up during the tumult of WWII Greece. Her father passed immediately prior to the war, and she was courageously raised with her siblings by her mother during a difficult and dangerous time. In 1950, she married her husband, Vasilios, in Avlona and they later moved to Kifisia, Athens. She was a talented seamstress and owned a small boutique in Kifisia. Encouraged by her sisters-in-law already in the U.S. and the circumstances of an unfolding military junta in Greece, Toula, her husband and children, Maria and Demitri, moved to Albuquerque, NM to start a life in the United States in 1967.
Throughout the years in the US, Toula had been, first with her husband and later with her daughter, a successful business owner and restauranteur in Albuquerque. From The Three Daughters Restaurant on University, to Mykonos Café on Eubank, and to The Saucy Italian Bistro on Juan Tabo. Toula shared her love of food and people through her cooking of Greek and New Mexican specialties at her restaurants. Her customers became friends and family. Everyone knew grandma/Yiayia. She is survived by her daughter, Maria of Albuquerque, NM; her sister-in-law, Yolanta of Memphis, TN; her granddaughters, Konstantina of Ellicott City, MD, Demitra of Prescott, AZ, and Georgia of Albuquerque, NM; her three grandsons-in-law, Bill, Shayan and Dominic; and by her two great-granddaughters, Katerina and Lucia. She is pre-deceased by her husband, her son, her parents, and her siblings.
She gave strength and was a rock to her family built upon the hardships and challenges of growing up during World War II in Greece and the move to a new country. She was always clever, cheerful, loving, and an inspiration to her family and family of friends alike.
The family is grateful to pallbearers, Dominic Serna, Bill Katcheves, Ken Jerkatis, Dean Constantine, Jim March, and Nik Armstrong for honoring Toula. Toula has been a member of St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Albuquerque, NM for 49 years. May her memory be eternal.
Family will receive friends on Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 6:00 p.m., with a Trisagion (Viewing) Prayer Service following at 7:00 p.m., at FRENCH - University. The Funeral Service will be on Friday, March 25, 2016 at 11:30 a.m., at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 308 High Street SE. Entombment will follow at Sunset Memorial Park, 924 Menaul Blvd NE. Please visit our online guestbook for Toula at www.FrenchFunerals.com.
FRENCH - University
1111 University Blvd. NE
505-843-6333
Service Details
Thursday, March 24th, 2016, 7:00pm, FRENCH - University
Friday, March 25th, 2016, 11:30am, St. George Greek Orthodox Church
Interment Details
Sunset Memorial Park
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