Georgia Kouros was born on January 5th, 1924 in the village of Nestani in Arcadia, Greece, and was the last surviving child of Philip and Athena Reveliotis. She grew up in a time of poverty, followed by the German occupation of her village from 1940 - 1944, and the Greek Civil War from 1946 - 1949. Having survived the atrocities of these conflicts, she met and married our father Dimitrios Kouros, a Greek WWII veteran of the Greek Albanian campaign, and moved to his home in Tripolis, Greece in 1949.

Both their fathers who came to America to work on the railroads a half century earlier told them childhood stories of the beauties of this country. Upon hearing that, they were offered a sponsorship to the United States by Georgia's uncle Charles Revell (Reveliotis) in Ogden, Utah, they eagerly accepted. They boarded the ship Corsica in 1951 (the National Archives have their names recorded traveling on this ship to New York) with their first-born son, John, and embarked on an adventure for a prosperous new life.

After arriving in New York, they took a cross-country bus to Ogden, Utah where Georgia's uncle Charles and aunt Lettie lovingly welcomed them into their home. Here, Dimitrios worked tirelessly on the Union Station railroads like his father before him, while their family continued to blossom with the arrival of their daughter Helen.

In 1953, Georgia's uncles Angelo and Tony Mitchell (Mihalopoulos) assisted the young couple in relocating to Los Angeles and training Dimitrios to be a meat cutter. 1954 marked an important year for the Kouros family with the purchase of their first home in Huntington Park. In 1960, Georgia and her family proudly welcomed the arrival of their third child, Philip.

In the following years, Georgia joined community programs like the PTA of her children's school, the Greek charitable organization Philoptochos, Daughters of Penelope, and the Pan-Arcadian Society. Her tireless volunteering at Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral brought her an abundance of new lifelong friends. Her fearlessness and curiosity to try new things led her to be the first in the family to drive. Her children will never forget how disciplined she was in meticulously packing their suitcases, filling a cooler with goodies, and waking the family up at the crack of dawn for an adventurous road trip. To this day, her children still wonder how she was the only one who could manage to re-fit all of their clothes back into their suitcases on the last day of their trips.

Dimitrios and Georgia enjoyed their retirement by moving to Downey in 1995, still attending Saint Sophia Cathedral in Los Angeles but also becoming members of the local parish, Saint George. While the passing of her beloved husband Dimitrios in 2005 proved difficult for Georgia, she spent her remaining years in Downey, aided by her children until her passing.

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Amongst all of Georgia's amazing talents, she was a very gifted storyteller with an impeccable memory. Like Homer reciting the Iliad and the Odyssey, she found passion in reciting her life's story and discussing the hardships she endured in her earlier years. She loved to share her pride for her family's history, as well as her gratitude for the many people who helped her and for this country. To her last days she would repeat stories that her own father told her of his coming to the United States in 1901 to give his brother Charles and family an opportunity for a better life, of his providing wedding dowries for his sisters upon returning to Greece, and of his participation in the Balkan Wars of 1912.

She furthermore inspired listeners with the tale of her mother's family emigrating from the island of Hydra to their permanent home in Nestani. Miaoulis. The famous naval war hero during the Greek revolution of 1821, moreover, was Georgia's mother's great great uncle.

One incredible story she repeatedly told was from World War II, when German forces parked their tank on her doorstep, housed themselves in the better part of her home, and left her family to sleep in the barn until the Germans evacuated in 1944. She remembered that even in these hardships the German soldiers showed compassion when they brought their own military doctor to treat Georgia's then-ill mother until she regained her health. Even after the German evacuation, she recalled another tragic incident that occurred when her brother was injured by a land mine the day they were walking into town to attend a parade.

Georgia would then transition from this story to another one equally remarkable. She talked about the Greek Civil War between the communists and royalists from 1946 - 1949. The communist guerrillas entered her village and ruthlessly attempted to kidnap her and others into the mountains. Her younger brother intervened and saved her by offering himself instead. With his knowledge of the mountains, he escaped the communists and returned to the village the next day.

While many of Georgia's stories of her life alluded to the danger and poverty she endured, these lasting memories shaped her into the amazing and noble motherly figure she became in all of our lives. Not only did she raise her own children, but she also raised her nephews and nieces in her earlier years as well. For our family, she represented a goldmine rich in history, culture, and valued customs. Georgia Kouros was the matriarch of her immediate and extended family.

Georgia was proud to have sent all her children to college with degrees in engineering, history, and medicine. She taught us to appreciate the sacrifices parents make for their kids. Her passing will be a void difficult to fill. She came from an era whose generation was severely tested and whose strength preserved the values we now hold close to heart. Her family is forever grateful.

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Her Trisagion will be at 7 pm on Monday, November 11th, 2019 at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, 10830 Downey Avenue, Downey, CA 90241. Her funeral will be the following day at 10am on November 12th, 2019 at Saint George Church followed by the interment at the Greek Section of Rose Hills Cemetery in Whittier.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to Saint George Greek Orthodox Church in her memory.

Arrangements under the direction of Chapman Funeral Homes - Terry & Mary Harmon, Funeral Directors. Toll free (855) 628-0447.

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Obituary notice for Chapman Funeral Homes. Please visit www.chapmanfuneraldirectors.com .

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