In the early hours of November 6, 2021, our beloved mother and grandmother Maria Patzanakidis took her final breath and departed from this earthly world to a different one, devoid of pain and suffering. She left peaceful and content leaving behind her most valuable accomplishment: her family.

Maria was born on March 22, 1928 in Krasnodar, Russia to Nikolaos Galianidis and Eleni Pandeliris. Hers and her family's journey was long and at time very difficult. The family had been forced to migrate from northern Asia Minor – known as Pontos - in order to avoid the subsequent genocide of the Pontians in the hands of the Turks in 1921, that followed. The family settled in Krasnodar, Russia for a few years and Maria was born in 1928. Eleven years later, in 1939 and in the onset of the Second World War, the family was repatriated back to Greece, and more specifically in Patra.

The years that followed were very difficult. The German occupation was brutal, famine and disease were common and the situation continued post war for many years. Maria's family had been settled in Patra, where she finished her schooling. Her family along with other refugee Greek families from Russia, that were resettled, faced significant discrimination from the communities they lived in. Despite that, she continued her education and the family eventually settled in Athens, where she received employment as a book keeper for a large boutique. She was able to speak four languages and was always well respected by her co-workers, family and friends. In 1959 she met and married her husband, Theodore Patzanakidis and three years later their first born child came, Konstandinos.

Due to the poor economic conditions that dominated Greece during the 1960s, the family decided to migrate to the United States for a better life. They arrived in New York in 1964 with limited financial means but with faith and determination. With hard work and patience, they settled in New York and a year later, in 1965, their second child, Helen came along. From that point on and for the next three decades, the family worked very hard, with Theodore working 10-12 hour days and Maria managing family and finances. They were able to build a substantial estate, raise their two children, educate them with Theodore eventually retiring in 1995. From that point on they retired comfortably and they started traveling back and forth to Greece where they spent multiple summers with their close relatives and friends.

Life had another move for the family. When her daughter Helen, finished her medical training, got married and a decision was made to move to California from New York. Maria and Theodore wanted to be close and help raise the grandchildren so they moved with their daughter and enjoyed the next eighteen years raising their two grandsons into proper young men. She left peaceful and content with her life.

Trisagion at 7pm on Friday, November 12, 2021, with the funeral at 1:00pm on Saturday, November 13, 2021, both services held at Saint John Greek Orthodox Church in Anaheim, California. Graveside service held at 2pm on Sunday, November 14, 2021 at Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, California.

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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