Obituary of Virginia Diana Kelades

Virginia Diana Kelades, of Sussex, passed away at her residence on Thursday, July 25, 2013. She was the eldest of five children born to Greek immigrant parents, George and Stamatia (Paniotakis) Pittson, on June 15, 1926 in Saint John, NB. Virginia's parents were some of the first Greeks to settle into the Saint John community. Both her parents came to Saint John from the Greek Islands of Crete and Haiki at different times. They met in Saint John and got married. The Pittson family was one of the founding families of the Greek Orthodox Church. Virginia's family ran several successful businesses in Saint John on Charlotte and King Streets, (i.e. restaurant, tobacco store with fruit and soda counter) for many years. Virginia only spoke Greek when she began school in Saint John. Quietly extroverted she faired well in school and was a natural performer, performing in dance productions at the Capital Theatre in Saint John. She loved Shirley Temple and remembers when she and her sister Bella got Shirley Temple dolls from Santa. When Virginia, "Jenny" was just ten years old, her mother died after a long illness. Jenny idolized her mother and this was a very tramatic time in her life, as well as for her siblings and father. As years went on, Jenny and her sister Bella took on mother roles caring for their sisters and brother, as well as working in the the family business. When the war broke out in the 1940's, Jenny fell in love and became engaged to a Greek Navy Captain from Greece. Soon tragedy struck in her life again when the ship her fiance was on got torpedoed off the coast of Nova Scotia. His body was washed ashore. Many years after this tragedy, Jenny went on a vacation to Tarpon Springs, Florida to visit some relatives there. On that visit, she met a Greek man named Mike Kelades. They were married on January 24, 1947 in Tarpon Springs. They had a gigantic Greek wedding with about 500 attendees. They operated two restaurants in Tarpon Springs, The Lighthouse Cafe and Bom Bom's Restaurant. On January 7, 1952, Jenny's first child 'Stacy Diana" was born and on August 6, 1957 their second child, Charles Michael, was born. She devoted herself to raising her two children. Jenny loved the Florida sunshine and would frequently go to the beach with her family. She was deeply religious and was a faithful church attendant. She sang in the church choir at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Tarpon Springs and her voice could be heard on the local radio program. She loved to draw and would sketch portraits. She loved Greek dancing and to play bridge with her many friends. Virginia didn't like football but went along with her husband. She would tell her daughter about going to the Orange Bowl and her feet being frozen and her husband having to massage her feet at the football game. In the early 60's, the family relocated back to Saint John. At that time, she debated if she should return to school to become a Commercial Artist but she decided not to. She wanted to be home with her family. Her husband died in 1986. Jenny's son Charles, and Eva were married in 1980. They had three sons - Christopher, Joshua and Samuel. Her grandchildren called her "YAYA" which means Grandmother in Greek. The name "YAYA" stuck, and folks to this day call her YAYA. She lived a many good years with Charles and his family. Charles, her son, being an ordained Minister was called to come to Sussex from Halifax to start a church in August 1986 (Evangel Assembly) and Virginia came along too. YAYA had the privilege of being near her grandchildren while they were growing up. YAYA became quite a traveler when her daughter Stacy was living in the United States. She visited Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas, Texas; Georgetown, South Carolina; and Portland, Maine. Jenny loved to visit her brother and sister in Washington, DC, and Montreal too. One New Year's Eve she spent in Times Square and always looked back at that time every New Year's with fondness. YAYA and Stacy, her daughter, lived together for many, many years in Sussex. When Stacy got married in 2002, Greg and Stacy invited her to live with them. YAYA agreed, so she and her dog "Boomer" and her cat "Tula" moved into the "Stevens" household until her accident in April 2005. YAYA moved into the Kiwanis Nursing Home in Sussex in July 2005. She loved to listen to music and was an inspiration to all who know her there. Virginia is survived by her son Charles (Eva) of Halifax, and daughter Stacy Stevens (Greg) of Sussex. Three grandchildren Christopher and Joshua of Halifax and Samuel of Ottawa, sisters Bella of South Carolina, Mary of Toronto and brother Michael of Montreal. Virginia is predeceased by her sister Laurie. There will be no visitation at the request of the family. A Celebration of Virginia's life will be held on September 7, 2013 at 4:00pm at the Amsterdam Inn at 143 Main Street, Sussex, NB (exit 192 off hwy 1). Donations in memory of Virginia made to a charity of the donor's choice would be appreciated. Arrangements are entrusted to Tuttle Brothers Funeral Home, 171 Lutz Street, Moncton, NB E1C 5E8 (506) 857-8564. Service Information Tuesday, July 30, 2013