Contributions to the tribute of Antonia Gravanis

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Nick Lappos posted a condolence

Saturday, December 29, 2012

She was a wonderful woman, full of life and strength. Our family was so close and so loving, due in no small part to Aunt Antonia's big heart and wonderful smile. We will miss her so much.

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Elenie Opffer posted a condolence

Saturday, December 29, 2012

If I could have picked my own Nouna, it would have been Antonia, one of the sweetest, kindest, caring women I ever met. I was lucky; my parents picked her for me. She was kind, caring, and full of love. You could feel her warmth transmitted through a smile of appreciation as soon as you walked into the room. I will keep this memory of her presence until we meet again. God bless her soul.

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Yeoryia Constantin posted a condolence

Saturday, December 29, 2012

When I moved to the USA in the spring of 1966, I met a lot of Nick's nice relatives. One of the sweetest, kindest, warmhearted and lovely ones was Antonia Gravanis. Dino and Antonia were always welcoming and going to their home for me was as if I was visiting my blood relatives. Helen and Zoe were the funnest, funniest and entertaining kids to be around. Together with the Opffer girls they made the place come alive with jokes, singing and jumping on beds. In the winter of the same year the Opffer family moved to upstate New York and Nick and I moved to a one bedroom apartment on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn. Antonia stopped by, took a look at the windows and immediately decided that we should have better drapes so she took my many meters long tulle wedding veil and made it into curtains for the bedroom window. They looked so pretty. I still have them. Then we went to a store where we purchased fabric, hooks and thread and soon afterwards there were new drapes hanging on the living room windows. As Antonia said, without good drapes a home looks undecorated even if it has a lot of furniture. About a year later Nick and I moved to Los Angeles, and bought a house that had such ugly drapes I had to follow Antonia's rule so I bought fabric and made new ones. They weren't as well crafted as hers because of my lack of expertise but I felt that Antonia would approve anyway because I understood her first rule about making a house feel like a home. Now Antonia is having a great time draping and redecorating the biggest and best place. Heaven. After that she will be making new halos for the angels. But oh how we wish she was still with us even in a home with no drapes at all. It was her good heart that covered everything with the best fabric of all. Love. We miss you our Antonia. Until we meet again may you rest in peace. Eoneia sou e mnimi. Yeoryia and Nick

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Yvonne Conybeare posted a condolence

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Antonia's home was always a home away from home to for the extended soy. She made sure everyone's plate was full, listened to everyone's news, and with a wry smile, shared her opinion on everything local news and national politics. I can still hear her...... "Why? Why?" I had to have surgery while I was at Brooklyn College, and her beautiful family spared me a lonely recovery: Dr. Zoe was in the recovery room to let me know everything was OK when I awoke from anesthesia, Helen & Steve took me in until I could walk and function, and when I returned to my college apartment (w/3 roommates) Antonia saw to it that I not only had new sheets, but when I couldn't find matching pillowcases, she had me give her an extra twin sheet, and made 3 matching pillowcases. Those absolutely perfect flat-fell seams made a deep impression, and I can't make one without thinking of the absolutely perfect ones on my pillowcase. She was a beautiful woman, so kind, and we will treasure her memory.

Antonia Gravanis

1922 - 2012

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