Eftehia "Effie" Kosmetatos

Effie was born June 22,1921 in Cephalonia, Greece, the third of five children born to Spyro and Spiridoula Delaportas. At age 11 she was sent to live with a childless aunt and uncle. Her uncle was a priest and while assisting him in his duties, she developed a lasting love of church chanting. During her years in Greece, she lived through an earthquake which demolished the family's home, the Great Depression, the Italian and German occupation of Cephalonia during World War II and the abduction and murder of her father by communist partisans.

She became friends with a neighbor, Maria, whose brother, Jerry (Gerasimo), lived in America. He had been a sailor on merchant ships and when war broke out, the ship he was on was on was in route to New York. The crew was given the choice of staying in New York or being diverted to Portugal, which was neutral, Jerry was happy to stay in New York. He found work in a restaurant until he was drafted into the army where he became a US citizen. After the war he wrote to his sister he was thinking of getting married. His sister Maria wrote back that she had the girl for him.

After a brief correspondence, Effie agreed to come to America to meet and marry Jerry. She came to America as a GI war bride and met Jerry for the first time at the Port of New York in December 1947. They were married in January 1948 and lived in Brooklyn, New York, where Jerry worked in restaurants. Effie cared for the couples' two children, a daughter (Niki) and then a son (Aries). The family then moved to Syracuse, NY, since Jerry felt it would be a better place to raise their children and Effie had relatives there.

In Syracuse, the couple worked in the restaurant business, where Effie learned English, and the couple eventually purchased their own diner - Liberty Diner. At the encouragement of and together with Helen, a Polish emigree, who was their hired waitress she became a US citizen. Jerry and Effie, worked hard but together raised and educated their children, built a home, helped bring several of Jerry's relatives from Greece including his sister Maria and her husband and daughter. After retiring the couple eventually came to Atlanta to live with their daughter and be near their son.

But no matter where they lived, throughout her life she kept close to her Greek Orthodox faith and loved to chant the hymns. Even after the death of Jerry, the love of her life, she continued to keep her faith and love life, especially being in church. In her younger days she was active in the Philoptochos Society and enjoyed working at the Greek festivals. She was very skilled at crocheting, needle point and was a great cook. She loved having company over for meals and visits and enjoyed people.

Effie was preceded in death by her husband Jerry, her parents Spyro and Spiridoula, her four siblings, her daughter-in-law Catherine (Kandy). She is survived by her daughter Niki, son Aries, daughter-in-law Cheryl (Cherie), grandson John, three step-granddaughters and nine great-grandchildren, along with nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews and extended family in Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Montreal and Greece.

Visitation will be at Turner's Funeral home in Atlanta and a funeral service will be at the Annunciation Cathedral in Atlanta. Interment will be in Syracuse at Oakwood Cemetery, preceded by visitation at Green Leaf Funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Atlanta, St. Sophia's Greek Orthodox Church in Syracuse or the Philoptochos Society.