Ethel (Athanasia 'Soula') Kallianiotes, 96, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Sunday, March 8th. She was the wife of the late Peter Anthony Kallianiotes and the daughter of the late George and Christina Psihogeos.

Born July 11, 1929, in Chelsea, MA, her family returned to their ancestral home in Agoriani, Laconia, Greece during the Great Depression years. Their planned return to the United States was halted by the invasion of Greece during World War II. She vividly shared stories of those years—of courage, faith, and family endurance in the face of great hardship and danger—instilling in her children the importance of resilience and hope.

In 1946, at age 16, she returned to the United States with her sister, then age 20, under the U.S. Repatriation Program enacted to bring American born children back from Europe after World War II. Sponsored by their uncle, Christos Paikos, to whom they remained grateful throughout their lives, the sisters eventually settled in Lynn to build a better life. Their parents joined them five years later. Industrious and optimistic, she immediately entered the thriving shoe industry full-time while continuing her education and eventually becoming a highly talented seamstress.

She met and married her husband a few years after his return from the Korean War, later discovering that they had both left the United States for Greece on the same ship as children. When they realized this, they marveled at the similarities in their journeys, recognizing that they had endured many of the same hardships and had even returned to the United States in the same year.

She created a warm and loving home for her children and left her family a lifetime of beautiful memories to cherish. Blessed with the gift of giving throughout her long life, she passed many of these gifts on to her children and grandchildren: her deep devotion to her faith, strong family values, her inner strength, creativity, and zest for living that did not diminish with age. Radiant, compassionate, beautiful inside and out, she carried herself with grace and serenity.

Family was the main focus of her life. She cherished her role as a grandmother and was a devoted, loving, hands-on Yaya to her “Koukla,” Alexa and her “Kardula,” Anthony. She taught them prayers, Greek songs, traditions, and told countless stories that connected everyday moments to life lessons. Helping shape their formative years and watching them grow brought her endless joy and fulfillment. One of the happiest moments of her life was being present at the wedding of Alexa and Alex in July.

After retiring on Cape Cod, she devoted more time to her love of design and creating women’s handbags. A gifted artist with her hands, she poured her talent into sewing, gardening, and crafting exquisite creations that earned numerous awards at juried craft shows that were sought after in local boutiques. In her kitchen, she was an extraordinary Greek cook who never needed a recipe, each pinch, stir, and taste guided by intuition and heart. The scent of fresh bread baking often filled the air, a comforting reminder of her love and care. She reveled in the beauty of nature, with birds and bunnies filling her yard, and delighted in tending the flowers and vegetables in her garden.

She had a deep love for animals, especially dogs, and Lovey, Spunky, Rocko, and Pecan all held a special place in her heart. A proud “doggy and kitty Yaya,” she also adored her son Tony’s cats, Koukla and Saba. All of the pets, whether cat or dog, were always nearby as she cooked, their eyes fixed on the oven in hopeful anticipation of one of Yaya’s special home-cooked treats made just for them.

Faith was a guiding force in her life and as a devoted member of the Taxiarchae Church she found comfort in attending services faithfully until her health no longer allowed.

She is survived by her devoted children, Olga Hantis and her husband Paul; Cristina Kallianiotes and her partner Jim; and Anthony Kallianiotes and his wife Helina; and by her loving grandchildren, Alexa and her husband Alex, and Anthony. She also lovingly embraced two special young people, Elijah and Sahara, as grandchildren.

She is also survived by her dear nieces Betty Tolkin and her husband Steve, and Gail Karagiannis and her partner Tony; her great-nephews Alex, Benjamin, and Andreas; her cousin George Garantziotis; her niece Tina; her nephews Dino and Andrew; and her great-niece Sophia, along with many nieces and nephews in Greece. She was predeceased by her beloved sister Konstantina Mystakides and brother-in-law Eric.

The funeral service will be held at the Taxiarchae Archangels Greek Orthodox Church, 25 Bigelow Avenue, Watertown, on Monday, March 16, at 10:30am. Visiting hours will be held 9:30am to 10:30am at the church. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Burial will be at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to her beloved Taxiarchae Church at above address.