Tavla, Maria "Marie", of Brighton, Mass., March 11, 1931 - July 8, 2013. Marie was the beloved daughter of the late Leonidas and Chresanthe Tavla. Marie was born in Brooklyn NY, the daughter of Cretan immigrants. She lost her Mother at the tender age of 2, and then relocated to Brighton, MA to be raised by her Aunt and Uncle Katina & Michael Coufos. Inspired by a high school teacher (Mr. Gibbons) to pursue her talents in Math and Science, Marie went on to graduate from Simmons College in 1953 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Physics She then worked for 5 years at MIT as a Physicist, and in Civil Service at Hanscom Air force Base for 47 years. She loved travel, meeting new people, had a restless curiosity, and tremendous empathy for others in need. Marie was a fountain of wisdom; she had a logical mind, was wise, modest, disciplined, independent, self-sufficient, and had strong ethical convictions. She loved her Brighton neighborhood where she lived for most of her life, and they in turn loved her. She was very giving, devoting a lot of time to charities and organizations including the Boston Marathon, working with the blind (including taking them sailing at the M.I.T. Sailing Pavilion), and horticultural events (member of the Bromeliad society and volunteer at the Boston Flower Show). She also had talents in music (piano), had a great appreciation for the arts, and dabbled in painting and even whittling. She whittled beautiful bird figures. As Marie battled cancer, she was heroic, doing so with a stoic grace, dignity, and pragmatism. A testament of how greatly she valued the gift of life, in this most recent election was a strong opponent of the doctor-assisted suicide referendum saying it was against her Greek Orthodox faith. Marie will be greatly missed by her family and friends. May her memory be eternal. She was predeceased by her parents and her sister Chresanthe Staurulakis. She is survived by her cousins, Ernest N. Kinas & his wife Nelly, and Mary Pappastathis. Aunt of Manny Staurulakis, Leo Staurulakis and Joanne Scheller. Also survived by many relatives and friends. Funeral Services on Friday, July 12, 2013 from the Faggas Funeral Home, 551 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown, MA at 10am followed by Services in the Greek Orthodox Church Taxiarchae, 25 Bigelow Ave., Watertown, MA at 11am. visiting hours on Thursday from 5 to 8pm at the funeral home. Relatives and friends kindly invited to attend. In lieu of flowers donations in her memory may be made to the One Fund Boston, Inc, 800 Boylston St., 990009, Boston, MA 02199. Burial in Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Mass.