Presvytera Maritsa Andrews, died peacefully in her sleep on May 6th at the age of 96. Predeceased by her loving husband, Reverend Dean Timothy Andrews and her daughter P. Zoe Stavri, she leaves behind her daughter Stephanie C Andrews and husband Marc A White Jr,  and her son Christopher Andrews and wife Junko Kato along with her beloved grandchildren Marina White and her husband Peter Kerr, Marc A White III and Alexandra White and her husband Henry Fox. She is also survived by nieces and nephews both in the US and Greece whom she cherished. A devout church goer, she was a member of the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church attending services with her beloved cousin, Yvonne . When it became difficult to attend church, Presvytera loved being visited by her many loyal friends who came to see her regularly  Bessie, Evie, Nikki and many, many others as well as the clergy and the Ladies Philoptochos  who  kept her in their prayers. Maria Stavrides, later known by the affectionate diminutive name "Maritsa,  was born on the Greek island of Lesvos in the village of Skalohori.  When Maritsa was a teenaged girl the Nazis invaded and occupied her beautiful island for over three years.  After World War II, and wanting to make a better life for herself, she traveled to Montreal where she worked for a year before her loving cousins from New Jersey drove up to bring her to the United States. The rest, as they say, is history. This eligible young Greek beauty, Maritsa, soon found herself among the sizeable Greek community in New York and New Jersey. She was introduced by her future brother-in-law's wife Helen to his scholarly brother Dean Timothy Andrews.  Dean was living in New York City completing dual master's degrees at Columbia and Pratt Universities, after having graduated in 1942 from the first graduating class of Holy Cross Theological School then located in Pomfret Connecticut.

Meeting Maritsa Stavrides was enough to jolt the future Father Dean into asking her to marry him and to get on with the business of becoming a priest. On February 1, 1953 they married and later that year on July 4 he became Father Dean and she, Presvytera Maritsa.

Presvytera Maritsa and Father Dean, a true team, had their first parish at Saint Sophia's in San Antonio, Texas before moving to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Ipswich. They were the first permanent priest and Presvytera at St. Catherine's in Quincy, St. George's in Bethesda Maryland and later St. Mark's in Boca Raton Florida. Prior to their final assignment in Florida Father Dean became the Director of Libraries at Hellenic College/Holy Cross and they settled in Westwood long enough to raise their children P. Zoe, Stephanie and Christopher.   Together they filled in as substitute clergy at over 100 parishes throughout New England, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania before ultimately relocating to Boca Raton. While being a Presvytera, mother and wife was more than enough to keep Maritsa busy, her love of fashion and style led her to a fulfilling career in the fashion industry.  She served many loyal customers first in the designer department of Lord & Taylor; then at Sara Fredericks in Boston and later on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. She also taught both Sunday school and Greek school to many a school aged child. After Father Dean suffered some health issues, they moved back to Boston where he spent his final years at the Hellenic Nursing Home  enjoying his "celebrity" status as a beloved retired Greek Priest… and where he was able to eat as much ice cream as he wanted, now out of the 24/7 watchful eyes of his loving Presvytera.Maritsa deeply loved and was loved by both her son-in-law, Marc and daughter-in-law Junko.  However, to this day,  her greatest joy came from being "Yiayia" to Marina, Marc III and Alexandra. When she moved back to Boston, she took on yet another career as chauffeur, sports spectator, giver of hugs and a confidante to her beloved grandchildren. A wake will  be held from 9:00-10:00 with the funeral to follow at St. Demetrios Church Weston on Thursday May 16th. Remembrances in her memory may be made to St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 57 Brown Street, Weston MA 02493 .