Mary FARMAKIS

Family-Placed Death Notice

FARMAKIS, Mary Mary Algers Farmakis, 101, passed away on Sunday, October 6, 2013. Her husband, Melton, son, Jerry, brothers Andrew Algers and Michael Algers precede her in death. She is survived by her granddaughters and their husbands, Krista and George Brown Jr., Kelly and David Nettles, great-grandchildren, George Brown III, Hallie and Hannah Stapp, Avery and Justin Nettles, several nieces, nephews and their families. Mary was born in 1912 in Atlanta, GA to the late Gerasimos and Hariklia Algers. At the age of 12, the family moved to New York returning "home" to Atlanta in 1948. She spent most of her adult life as a homemaker. Her home on Highland Avenue in Virginia Highlands will be remembered as a warm and fun gathering place for family and friends alike. She loved to cook, bake, play cards with friends, and sew for her granddaughters and family. In 1960, she and her husband Melton purchased and ran 10th Street Cut Rate Drug Store on Peachtree Street. When they decided to retire in 1970, she was approached by her brother, Michael to be the office manager at his diner, Doby's Good Food on Ponce de Leon Avenue. She assumed the role and enjoyed working there until it closed in 1985. She moved to Dunwoody Pines in 2000 with her sister in law and best friend, the late Kitty Algers. Mary was a proud member of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral. She was the oldest native born parishioner at the time of her death. She was one of the Cathedral's first Sunday School teachers, a 50 year plus member of the Daughters of Penelope, and along with her senior contemporaries, volunteered at the Atlanta Greek Festival, baking and selling pastries for many years. Mary was her family's beloved matriarch, a strong, wise and loving person. She was an incredible story teller, especially when sharing details having to do with the family's history and the early days of the Atlanta Church Community. These stories were passed on to her by her father, Gerasimos, one of the founders of the Atlanta Cathedral. Until the end, her memory recall was exceptional. She lived a wonderful life and will be missed. May her memory be eternal. The family will receive friends beginning at 5 PM on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at A.S.Turner Funeral Home, 2773 N. Decatur Road. A prayer service will follow at 7 PM. Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 11:00 AM at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Interment at Greenwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation, 2500 Clairmont Road, Atlanta, GA 30329.