Glyceria Vasilopoulos

June 5, 1933 - December 26, 2020

Glyceria Vasilopoulos 87, of Tarpon Springs, passed away peacefully Wednesday, December 26, 2020. She is survived by her husband, Panagiotis; children, Fredericka (Vicki) and Argirios (Eddie); daughter-in-law, Chriss; and grandson, Michael. Glyceria was one of four children and grew up in Kalohori, a village in northern Greece, part of the province of Kastoria, located in the region of western Macedonia. Kastoria is very green and mountainous, with beautiful lakes, rivers and valleys. Her husband, Panagiotis, was a craftsman in the centuries-old fur trade in Kastoria. They were married in a traditional village ceremony, and were together for 57 1/2 years. Glyceria and Panagiotis emigrated to New York City in 1968, making the trans-Atlantic journey on the Italian ocean liner, the Cristoforo Colombo, with their 4-year old daughter and 9-month old son. They first lived in apartments in Manhattan before buying their own home in Queens, New York and later in West Hempstead, Long Island. They retired to Tarpon Springs, Florida to be closer to their son and daughter-in-law. Throughout her life, Glyceria was the consummate homemaker, known to adjust the angle of a pillow until it was just right. She was also a very accomplished cook, and made her own sausages and exceptional spanakopita and baklava. She even passed the cooking gene onto her two children. Glyceria grew up surrounded by fertile fields in Greece, and her pronounced green thumb found expression in her lush garden in New York, and in her summer home in her husband’s village of Kranohori, Greece. She grew a plethora of stunning roses, summer annuals and vegetables, along with her beloved fig tree and grape arbor that offered shade in the heat of summer. Her talents extended to the needle crafts of knitting, crocheting and embroidery. Her home was filled with framed hand-embroidered landscapes, and her intricately crocheted tablecloths were veritable works of art. Glyceria’s favorite form of entertainment was attending local holiday festivals with live music, where she could dance to her heart’s content. Even when she was doing chores around the house, she was known to break out in song, and she especially loved traditional Greek folk melodies. She loved to laugh and will be remembered fondly for her generous spirit and zeal for life.