Venetta Birakos (October 20, 1911 – July 2, 2014)

Our beloved and extraordinary Mother, Sister and Yiayia, Venetta Birakos, fell asleep in the Lord on Wednesday, July 2, 2014, peacefully at home in Orange, California, surrounded by family. Yiayia led a most eventful life, had remarkable character and personal strength throughout her almost 103 years, and was much-loved by all who knew her. She was everyone's Yiayia.

Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, on October 20, 1911, the daughter of George and Mary Anastasakos, Yiayia and her two siblings were sent away from a comfortable New England home following their father's death in the 1920's to spend their early years with distant relatives in Flomohori, a harsh and remote area of Mani in southernmost Greece. Eventually, her brother Tassos and her sister Eleni returned to the United States with Yiayia's help. She stayed behind and married Nicholaos Birakos, a builder, in 1933 and gave birth to five children, one of which perished during the brutal war years.

While our Father and Pappou fought the German occupiers, Yiayia selflessly endangered herself to provide for her family, even in the most troubling times. She was fearless and proud, traits that remained with her throughout her life. She was also extremely generous and would help her relatives and neighbors in the most distressing and dangerous times, any way she could. This trait, too, stayed with her forever. However, one constant remained: her desire to return to America.

After the World War II years and at the peak of the civil turbulence that followed throughout Greece, Yiayia made the dangerous and long journey to Athens in search of the American Embassy. The Ambassador was informed of a woman who had been hiding behind a curtain all night, and Yiayia told him her captivating story of life in Lowell and in Mani; she spoke of the harsh years of deprivation and pain, and her hope for her children.

The Ambassador ordered a document search and Yiayia's American birth certificate was located and she was given U.S. passports and tickets for herself and her three older children's return to the United States. Although she was happy and relieved to return to her birthplace, she also suffered tremendous guilt. She had to leave her baby behind. She took him to a priest in Gythio while Pappou was fighting the communists and asked the priest to raise baby Tassouli if Pappou didn't make it back alive. The priest agreed. Leaving her youngest child behind was heartbreaking, but she needed to give her other children a chance at a better life. After a month-long journey across the Atlantic and a train ride to California from New York, Yiayia, Julie, Jim and Mary arrived in Long Beach where her mother and brothers, John Tavoularis and Tassos Anastasakos, awaited. It was the Fourth of July, 1947. The deafening fireworks alarmed her children who thought that the war was still on. Incredibly, Pappou survived another war and two years later, in 1949, he and baby Tasso (Arthur), joined the rest of the family in Long Beach. Yiayia, a devout Greek Orthodox Christian, repeatedly thanked the Lord for bringing her family together again and giving them all the opportunity to live a peaceful and safer life. She said this prayer daily, until her dying day.

Yiayia became the supervisor of a cookie factory in Los Angeles while Pappou managed the California Coffee Company and later, self-employed, packaged and delivered spices to the Greek-owned restaurants in Southern California. They bought two homes in East Los Angeles and the children attended school there, all graduating from Garfield High School. At the strict insistence of Yiayia, all of her children went on to California colleges and universities, eventually teaching, running businesses, directing the IT department at IBM, and directing governmental agencies. Because of Yiayia's influence on the importance of a good education, her children sent their own children to obtain a form of higher education and so all of Yiayia's grandchildren went to college, too.

Yiayia retired in 1975 and devoted her time to showing love and care to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, reading, writing poetry and being active at Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Anaheim. Pappou passed away in 1976 and Yiayia remained a widow for the remaining 38 years of her life.

Yiayia is survived by her children, Julie (and Tim Sarres), Dr. James N. Birakos (and Helen), Mary (and John Ohanian) and Arthur N. Birakos (and Blanca); her brother John Tavoularis; her nine grandchildren, Venora (and Jerry Wheeler), Christine Morales (and Mary Utley), Venetia (and Takis Buterakos), Nickie (and Dean Duff), Lisa Morales, Art Birakos, Monica Birakos, Alex Birakos and Vasilis Birakos; her ten great-grandchildren Jerry Wheeler, Jr, Jace Wheeler, Katie Wheeler, Lucas Duff, Sarah Duff, Gia Buterakos, Ashley Birakos, Dimitris Buterakos, Sydney Birakos and Emily Birakos; and her great-great grandson Wyatt Wheeler. She is also survived by her nieces Gayle Hansen and her family, Pamela (and Ron Potts) and their family, and many cousins, nieces and nephews from the Anastasakos, Tavoularis and Birakos families.

Venetta was preceded in death by her loving husband Nicholaos Birakos, her baby son George Birakos, her brother Tassos Anastasakos, her sister Eleni Anastasakos, and her eldest grandson, Nicos Birakos, who died on December 23, 2012.

The Trisagion will be held on Thursday, July 10, 2014 at 7:00 pm at the Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church at 405 N. Dale Street, Anaheim, California. The funeral service will be on Friday, July 11, 2014 at 11:00 am at the church, followed by a makaria, and then a private interment at the family plot in Rose Hills. All arrangements were made under the direction of Chapman Funeral Directors.

Yiayia will always be the never-ending song of unconditional and unrestrained love for all of her children. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her. May her memory be eternal.