Angelica Demos Sponza

Angelica Demos Sponza, age 80, passed away peacefully in Izmir, Turkey on Sunday, April 12, 2026, Greek Orthodox Easter.

She was born in Charleston, South Carolina on June 18, 1945 to Panagiotis and Panagiota Alexopoulos Demos, who had come to America from Nasia, a small, mountain village in the Central Peloponnese in Greece, and owned a restaurant and liquor store in the heart of Charleston's business district.

Angelica was known to many as Ki, which was derived from her inability to say her full name Angeliki when she was a young child. Some even called her Angelique - each version of her name corresponding to different times and places of her life.

From a young age, Angelica demonstrated an eye for design and showed artistic talent. This, combined with her friendly and warm character, allowed her to create a large circle of friends with whom she enjoyed many adventures throughout her youth in Charleston.

After graduating from Rivers High School in 1963, she continued her studies at Palmer Business College and then worked in various administrative support roles in Charleston. In the early 1970s, she decided that it was time to cross the ocean and enjoy the big city life of Athens, Greece. Upon arrival, she quickly developed a strong network of friends and colleagues and began a nearly decade-long career at Merrill Lynch's Athens branch, living, working and taking pleasure in all that the city and country had to offer.

It was while she was living in Athens that she met her future husband Franco Sponza while he was visiting from Izmir on a business trip. After a long-distance courtship, Angelica once again took a courageous leap and moved to Turkey to marry Franco, with lifelong friends Demosthenes and Angela Kolaras serving as their koumbaroi (sponsors). She became part of the small but thriving Levantine family and community in Izmir.

Throughout their years together, she supported and worked alongside Franco in a number of successful and exciting business ventures that took them all over the world.

Angelica was known by all for her understated elegance, class and strength. Her calm and wise counsel on business and personal matters was sought out by her family and friends often. She was always there for those she loved - travelling great distances to be present for special life events. Only in recent years did she stop making these big trips but stayed in constant contact by phone and videochats.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her beloved husband Franco, her brother Peter Demos, Jr, sister-in-law Sophia Lawndales Demos and sister Alexandra Demos Stefanou. She is survived by her daughter Annabella, son-in-law Zafer Tirpancekir, grandsons Cem and Alp, her brother-in-law Christopher Stefanou, goddaughter and niece Christina (Chris) Papakirk, niece Pamela (George) Vasilos, nephews Peter (Ann), Frank (Danetta), Demetrios (Betsy) Demos and Marc (Carrie) Stefanou and her many great nieces and nephews of whom she was very proud, as well as many dear and special friends and relatives in the States, Greece and Turkey.

A special thank you to the 'A Team' of caregivers and medical professionals in Izmir who provided such loving and attentive care to Angelica. The family also expresses their gratitude to close friends Starry, Cheryl and Alex for frequently checking on her by phone, her cousin and neighbor Lotte for the many hours spent visiting and chatting and the 'OG Demos Cousins' for including her in their monthly lunch dates by video call.

The funeral took place in Buca, Izmir, Turkey on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, and she was laid to rest next to her husband Franco in the Sponza family cemetery plot.

A 40-Day Memorial will be held at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Charleston on Sunday May 17, 2026 following the Divine Liturgy with Trisagion prayers for all deceased Demos family at Live Oak Cemetery immediately afterwards.

Angelica loved her home church of Holy Trinity in Charleston and fondly and warmly recalled the love and pastoral guidance that Fr. Nick Trivelas provided through the years. The fact that she passed from this earthly life on the holiest day of the year, Pascha, is deeply significant.
Memorials may be made to the Endowment Fund, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 30 Race Street, Charleston, SC 29403

May her memory be eternal!