Maria Antoniou Gavalas, of Augusta, Georgia, reposed in Christ on Monday, 4/17 January 2000, aged 96 years. Maria was born 29 October/11 November 1903 on the island of Kalymnos, Dodecanese Islands, Greece. She worked for many years as a seamstress. She was known to many of the faithful and many friends of the Gavalas family as "Theia Maria." She is survived by two brothers, Basil A. Gavalas and Nicholas A. Gavalas, both of Augusta, Georgia; a sister, Anastasia A. Gavalas of Athens, Greece; and nieces and nephews. The funeral was celebrated by Archpriest Anthony B. Gavalas on Thursday, 7/20 January 2000, at Holy Archangels Chapel in Augusta, with burial following at Magnolia Cemetery, Augusta. MEMORY ETERNAL!

     Father Anthony was accompanied to Augusta by his daughter, Joanna Giovanelli. Father celebrated the Divine Liturgy on Saturday, 9/21 January, at Holy Archangels Chapel, before returning to New York Saturday afternoon.