04/17/2024
A tribute to My Thea Maria - Read at her Memorial service last week. Love Kosta and all those who knew and loved you.
Thea Maria - A Beautiful life That Mattered
When I heard the news that our dear Thea Maria passed away…I was screening the film Elvis to my very educated life-long learning students at Temple Beth Israel on Longboat Key in one of the wealthiest communities in the United States.
As the film was ending, depicting the beautiful yet tragic life of The King of Rock of roll, I began sobbing and wiping away many tears in the dark corners of the room – as the lights came up ending the film and bringing to light the harsh truth that my Aunt Mary’s movie of a life had ended.
As I struggled to share the news with my film class, I began to smile. After all it was April Fools’ Day…and Thea Maria was delivering a final sad and ironic punch line.
It wasn’t lost on me that she too was a twin and loved her twin brother Steve with all her heart, something Elvis could relate to having lost his twin brother Jessie at birth.
I began to tell my class a little bit about my sweet Aunt who taught me and our whole family so much over the course of our lives.
First off – I told them how much she Loved Elvis and how her “You ain’t nothing but a Hound Dog” rendition, always got us all laughing. She had great rhythm and no fear. And she was a fabulous entertainer –entertaining us all over the years with her moves, her jokes and her pure antics –that in Greek we called KAMOMATA.
I told my class how much she mattered to all of us- her beloved family and friends – and how to me she was one of the funniest people I ever met.
She had great comedic timing and wore the title of The GREEK LUCY like a badge of honor. Those of you who knew her – know what I’m talking about. Thea Maria Loved Lucy and we loved her.
As her final joke…leaving us on Aprils Fools Day…this now elderly 88-year old woman - was still teaching us all a valuable lesson about life – and what’s truly important in life.
Laughing. She loved to laugh. Join in the folly and madness of life and she was often the hit of any party.
Dancing. She taught us all the dance of life. Thea Maria had perfect rhythm and when she felt the urge she could and would break into a Presley tune or Motown hit with uncontrolled enthusiasm as her feet would move automatically to the beat. And when a Greek dance song was played, forget about it – it didn’t matter if it was a Kalamatiano’ or a Hasapiko – she felt the music in her Greek soul and would seize the dance floor like Zorba.
Speaking of Zorba, We jokingly called her Boub-a-lina and she ate it up and on cue rewarded us with an imitation of the Cretan Old Ladies dressed in black, announcing that “Boub-a-lina was dead” doing a spot on imitation – “PAITHANE, PAITHANE, PAITHANE.”
Thea Maria was a professional mourner. I joked with my sister Cle – that I wanted Thea Maria at my funeral –if I left before her, because she would cry real tears. No polite perfunctory tears. But real doozies. Real tears we sadly cry today because she deserved them and there wasn’t anything unreal or phony about her.
She was authentic. Genuine. An original. And she was a natural actress. A female Brando. Marlon had nothing on Thea Maria. Had she got her shot she could have been one of the best. I really believe that. Because Thea Maria could show real emotion and turn it on like a switch- the Crocodile tears…and Kamomata. Still while she didn’t make it to Hollywood - we were lucky enough to have her starring in our lives with ring side seats in our own situation comedy that played out over the decades to often rave reviews.
At times she was Raw. At times rough. Always Real.
With her there was no filter.
If she was angry –she showed it.
If she was happy- she showed it.
If she was hurt – she would tell you then forgive you.
And if she hurt you – she would ask for forgiveness.
Yes Our Thea Maria was special.
To those with endless educational degrees and letters of accomplishment attached to their names it may mean one thing.
To others it means something else.
To us she was special in every good way.
To the Lord it meant only one thing.
Thea Maria was special and she mattered to Him.
And because of that – He got her and she got Him.
While Aunt Mary never read the Bible- she was a wise woman and lived a life that bore witness to the higher power that she knew 100% existed. Hers was a deep faith that can’t be measured in degrees or mere words. The kind of faith that can’t be taught - but is only given to those who are special and who maybe, matter a little more to the Lord, those lambs and innocents who believe – and have been given the gift of having an unshakeable faith.
She was a devout believer in our Lord and our Greek Orthodox faith. She would cross herself in her own unique signature way. You all know what I mean - those who have spent even a little time with her. She would do it shamelessly – yet with great reverence and humility. And she would do it any time of the day or night. At any event- cross herself in a rapid fire that meant only one thing- she was talking and praying to Her God, Xristouli.
I so loved that about her. Some hide from their faith, some wear their faith on their sleeves, Thea Maria wore it all over. She was a faithful servant.
Her beginnings were a blessing, born to Andreas and Andriana Georgilas in one of the most beautiful places in the world where land and sea meet, and raised in Mani Greece and her father’s Horia of Lagatha and her mother’s Horia of Ayia Dimitri.
She loved both places and loved Greece.
Her Brothers and sisters loved her dearly over their lives and to all of them she mattered deeply, to Uncle Pierre, Aunt Tony, Uncle Steve and My Mom Freda.
You can’t talk about Thea Maria without talking about her and our wonderful family. She loved them and they loved her. Sure there were challenges, but hell that’s life…and one thing it wasn’t, when Thea Maria was around –life wasn’t boring.
She was an information seeker, curious and fishing like Columbo for things she wanted to know. For that reason –she was nicknamed Ale-poo…or Fox...because she did it in a sneaky yet sweet way.
Recently she asked me if Uncle Pierre had quit smoking. I would smile and say yes Uncle Pierre quit. Now she’ll know for sure. And naturally she’d ask about Aunt Tony- inquiring about a dress that she wanted and then say “How’s Kiria?”
Her brother Uncle Steve, she loved dearly- as the THEE-THEE-MA, her TWIN their deep bond was evident. Uncle Steve always did the good and right thing by her - taking on the role of his father, who brought the FIVE GEORGILAS PAITHIA to AMERICA after World War II ended and after they had sadly lost their mother Andriana.
And finally – there was Freda and my dad George –who often took care of her – at our home on Joy Road, that became her home as she was treated with kindness and the dignity she deserved – because they loved her and she mattered. I can still see her sharing a smoke with my dad and Uncle Pierre on that small porch. Now, once again the three of them are lighting up the skies together.
With my mom, she had a special connection. With Freda, she could 100% be herself. Complain. Snap. Laugh. Cry. Dance. Pray. On my last trip, I saw her snap at my mom and say she wasn’t going to kiss her goodbye because she was mad at her. Then as we were about to leave –she promptly planted a kiss on the cheek of her baby sister, and said, “I love you Mikro.”
Many of you probably didn’t know that Thea Maria was a poet.
But my Sister Cleanthe, my cousin Andrea and My Nephews, Stephan, Alexander and Andrejia do.
Here are some of her gems.
“Red, Red go to bed.”
“Brown, Brown Go Downtown Maria’s Pants are falling down.”
“Yellow, Yellow kiss your fellow.”
“Blue, Blue Tell the Truth.”
And finally, our favorite “ORANGE, ORANGE, You’re AN ORANGE,”
That always cracked us kids up.
Yet she was so many more things to all us.
The life of the party. Our babysitter. Our comedian.
Our Aunt. Our Sister. Our Great Aunt – because she was great.
She loved to play but knew the meaning of hard work and worked in the old days as a waitress for Annie and Panayioti in downtown Detroit.
When she lived in the Xorio with Thea Eleni she became a world class olive picker and often gave us kids the tips on how to be a great Olive picker. Needless to say they were like comedy skits – that would often leave us in stiches.
At the Glendi at St. Barbara’s in Sarasota, Thea Maria worked hard and was one of the most popular people. Can’t tell you how many times parishioners asked “When is your Thea Maria coming back to Florida?”
She loved Florida. The Beach. The sun. It reminded her of Greece. And Thea Maria loved her banyio with her noodle.
Recently, I was unable to take a call in Florida so she left me a message that I will always treasure, “KANA MOO MIA HAREE…”KOSTAKI BRING ME A RED WINGS SHIRT.”
She loved the Red Wings – probably because we loved them and when I wrote my Wings book, while she couldn’t read it – she believed in it and sold the heck out of it. She encouraged me. I smile when I think of her hocking On a Wing and A Prayer in her cute broken Greek accent. “RED WINGS BOOK.” BUY THE RED WINGS BOOK.”
And then when someone didn’t buy it she would cuss them out under her breath, “NA-VRE-Haze’…TSIGOUNIEE’ or some other pleasantry.
That’s the thing about THEA MARIA, when she had your back she had your back, she was a true Man-Yia-Tee-sa.
In our lives she spoiled us with candy, cheeseburgers, picos-tacos and her kindness.
She made us all laugh – sensing at times that’s just what we all needed.
Her bit on the various ways that you can Give THE GREEK NA sign to someone is a classic and rivals anything her fellow red head Lucy did on TV.
She had THAROS. Which in Jewish is HOUTSPA. Once when I was interviewing Olympia Dukakis, she walked write into my shot and proudly introduced herself as my Thea Maria. I just laughed and so did the Academy Award winning Actress -Olympia. Thea Maria wasn’t going to miss her close-up.
She was a proud Greek and loved America. And she was proud of all of us. Loved her nieces and her Great Nephews. Loved Kids period. Because let’s face it, she was at heart - like a big kid.
Childlike in her faith. Yet with a pure wonder she approached life.
She loved animals. And spoke of missing her favorite donkey from the old country.
A pure soul. Old school. Cool. That was Thea Maria.
She wasn’t from the social media generation and never texted or Facebook friended someone, which makes us all love her even more. Still she wasn’t anti-social or shy, connecting with people in her own unique way and not needing a device to do it. All she needed was her loving personality and ability to make someone laugh.
A straight shooter. She would tell you exactly what was on her mind and what she wanted. If she wanted to watch her show- then she gosh darn it, she was going to watch her shows.
She loved the movies –especially old Hollywood. Uncle Pierre would often get autographs of movie stars for her like Tyrone Power in the old days.
In later years, I would take on that roll and have my friend, Jason who was a movie star call her many times. She got so excited and must have watched THE LAST Don 25 times.
In later years- Cleanthe and Dragan’s Home became the new Joy Road and once again she was included in everything all of us did. Thanksgivings. EASTER. CHRISTMAS. Birthdays. Name Days. Graduations. THEA Maria was there.
The year my father died, we did an event that brought Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu in my favorite movie It’s A WONDERFUL Life to the Redford Theatre. Once again…with no fear and Tharos…Thea Maria connected with Zuzu. It was so natural –because she too, after all was a star.
And now she’s an angel who’s earning her wings. Hers truly was a wonderful life and ours was more wonderful because Our Thea Maria was in it.
To all of us she will be missed tremendously.
And life for all of us will not be as funny or exciting or colorful.
Because to all of us she mattered.
But she mattered the most to the Lord who made her, gave her tremendous spirit and the gift of faith that we could all learn from.
And that’s the thing and the twist on her story.
On this woman, named Maria Georgilas - who was born on June 21st the longest day of the year- and who passed away on April Fools’ Day.
Her life wasn’t always easy. In fact at times it was hard.
Yet she did the best she could do and gave it her all.
And she did that other thing that - that other great clown Chaplin always professed. Through her pathos - she smiled and always tried to make you smile.
Thea Maria could do that because she shared a secret with her maker.
A secret she knew throughout her long and glorious life on what truly mattered.
Love. Laughter. Forgiveness. Joy. Family. Friends. And Faith.
And that one important lesson not lost on her – “that to HIM, her Lord Xristos - she truly mattered.”
Like a sunset in the Xorio – she burned brightly, lighting up our days and years with pure joy. Thea Maria We will never forget you and the sweet colors you brought to all of our lives.
Thea….Maria me ta Kee-Tree-Na.
Red, Red go to bed.
Blue, Blue Tell the Truth.
Orange, Orange you’re an Orange.
