Freda Voonasis

Freda Givas Voonasis, 100 years young, was born on September 29,1921 and passed away peacefully at home on January 10, 2022.

She was born in Newark, NJ to Roxanne and Thomas Givas. She was raised in Poughkeepsie, NY and graduated from Poughkeepsie High School and the Wood-Purinton Business School. Early in her career, she was employed by attorney Joseph Worona in Poughkeepsie. During World War II she worked as a diagram worker for the General Electric War Factory for 3 years in Schenectady, NY. After the war she returned to Poughkeepsie and worked for the Sheriff's Office in Dutchess County.

In June 1946 she married William Nicholas Voonasis and lived in Peekskill, NY for 40 years. She was very involved with the PTA from the elementary to the senior high school years of her three children. She taught Sunday School for 25 years at St. Peter's Church. She also worked for the Westchester County Dept of Social Services for 15-½ years and during her time there, the Trustees of McCabe University awarded her an Honorary Masters Degree in both Public Administration & Social Work for her tireless dedication, assistance and absorption of the course content.  Upon retirement in 1986, she moved to Albuquerque, NM to be closer to her daughters and their families.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William Voonasis, her parents Thomas and Roxanne Givas, her youngest daughter Christina and husband Gary Grazier, sister Froso and husband James Pertesis, nephew Louis James Pertesis, sister Stella Givas, and brother Peter and wife Mary Givas, in-laws Nicholas and Daphne Voonasis, brother-in-law Peter and wife Gloria Voonasis and sister-in-law Georgia Sambazis. She leaves behind her her two daughters Daphne Tritle (Patrick), Roxanne Jarrard (John); 4 grandchildren, Stephanie Flaherty, Zachary Jarrard, Julia Jarrard Forrester (Scott), and Grant Grazier and fiance Haylee Swyers; 5 great-grandchildren, Crawford Flaherty III, Aidan Flaherty, Noah Forrester, Amelia Forrester, Olivia Forrester, and many nieces and nephews.
She was a very loving mother and so devoted to her faith and will be sorely missed by all that knew her.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank High Desert Hospice for their outstanding care and support for our mother this past year.

The Funeral is scheduled for Thursday, January 27th, 2022, 10:00 a.m. at St. George Greek Orthodox Church. Burial will follow at Sunset Cemetery.  Due to Covid, there will be no reception held at this time. I

n lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her honor to the Daughters of Penelope, c/o St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 308 High Street SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102.