Eva Nick Chaknis

Eva Poolos Chaknis, age 93, of Atlanta, Georgia, died peacefully on Oct 24, 2018. Eva was born in Atlanta, Georgia on Central Avenue to the late Nick P. Poolos and Victoria Eliakopoulos Poolos, Greek immigrants from the small village of Nedousa. Victoria died when Eva was two and her father later married Valine Handrinou George, who was a wonderful mother to Eva, her sister Cleo and brother Pete.
Eva graduated from Commercial High and attended Georgia Evening College. Her first job was with Southern Railway, where her greatest memory was of waving a white handkerchief from a window when the funeral train of President Franklin D. Roosevelt came through Atlanta.
Nick Poolos owned a small fruit stand and one day, WWII veteran Mike M. Chaknis, (a very nice Greek boy from a good family) walked in and saw a photo of the lovely Eva. He immediately announced that if this young lady was really this beautiful, he would have to marry her. In 1948, his proclamation came true, and they were happily married for 48 years. They loved tennis, bridge and, in their later years, enjoyed traveling.
Eva was devoted to Mike and their two children, Valine and Manuel. She welcomed her children’s friends with humor and pound cake. She returned to the workplace as an Administrative assistant in the Small Business Administration for many years.
Eva was deeply proud of her Greek ethnicity and a devoted lifelong member of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation. She served as a Sunday School teacher, choir member, festival volunteer, mailing crew member and member of Philoptochos Society, a philanthropic organization. Long before “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, she too credited Greece with all the world’s great achievements.
Her laugh lightened every room that she entered and will always be in our hearts.
She is survived by her daughter Valine Georgeson (Stephen) of Atlanta, GA, son, Dr. Manuel M. Chaknis (Suella) of Cape Coral, FL. Brother, Dr. Pete N. Poolos, of Cleveland OH. She was Yiayia to six grandchildren, Vickie Diamond (Brian),of Baltimore MD, Zachary Georgeson (Megan)of Chicago, IL, Alexis Reeves (Alex) of Atlanta, GA, Sophia Chaknis of Chicago, IL, Andrea Chaknis of Chicago, IL and James Chaknis of Boston, MA , great- grandchildren Amalia, Theodore and Graham, numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. The family wishes to thank the staff of the Fountainview Center for Alzheimer’s Disease for their compassionate care .
A Prayer service will be held on Friday, October 27 at 7:00 pm, with visitation from 5:00p.m.- 7:00 p.m. at A.S. Turner and Sons . Funeral service will be held on Saturday, October 28 at 11:00 a.m. at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation. Interment at Greenwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Philoptochos or the Annunciation Cathedral.