Ioanna "Jeanne" KARLIS

KARLIS, Ioanna "Jeanne"
December 10, 1933 - April 29, 2017
Ioanna "Jeanne" Karlis was born and raised in Athens, Greece. She was the beloved daughter of the late Dimitrios and Maria (nee Karalekas) Papoulias and the much loved daughter-in-law of Georgia Karlis.
She is survived by her beloved husband of almost 63 years, Nicholas Karlis. They met as teenagers in Athens. When Nicholas left for Ottawa in 1951 they communicated by writing letters until 1954 when he made arrangements for her to join him in Canada. She arrived on the ship Nea Hellas, on November 1. On November 21, 1954, they were married and step by step with deep faith they began to build a life together. She is the cherished mother of James (Georgina) and George (Pinelopi). She was the doting grandmother "yiayia" to her two granddaughters - Ioanna Aggeliki and Maria Nicoletta - who made her beautiful eyes light up each time she saw them.
She was a kind, smart, dynamic, faithful and strong woman. A very talented seamstress, she co-owned and operated "Jeanne and Maria's" in the 1960s - a dress making and alterations business employing 10 women. In 1973 she closed her dressmaking shop so that she and her husband along with her siblings could operate the Connaught Restaurant on Elgin Street in downtown Ottawa. Together with the families of her much loved brother Elias (Maria) and sister Georgia (Aristidis) they owned the Connaught Restaurant for almost 30 years.
A devout Greek Orthodox Christian she was an active member of her church with a long history of volunteering and supporting many charitable causes. Having known hunger and pain she was an active member for many years with the Greek Ladies Philoptochos Society - an association dedicated to helping the poor.
Friends and family were always welcome in her home, and she was known for her amazing cooking skills and hospitality.
She was elegant, dignified, patient, and an example of a person who made loving sacrifices without complaint. Her laugh and her presence will be missed by her many nieces, nephews, family members and friends in Canada, Greece, Cyprus, the USA and Australia.
She lived a full life, had her share of heartaches (she lost a son in childbirth and her brother Stavros as an infant) but was always grateful for her many blessings.
Many thanks to her doctors who cared for her - Dr. Ranbir Bhatia, Dr. Monil Arora, Dr. Ian Burwash and Dr. Fraser Rubens. Many thanks to the kind and compassionate staff at the Ottawa Heart Institute and the Civic ICU who gave her a fighting chance to bounce back and cared for her until the very end with kindness. She passed away surrounded by her family reminding her how much she was loved and thanking her for a life well lived.
We love you and we always will. We will never forget you.
Friends and Family are invited to visit at Beechwood, Cemetery and Funeral Services, 280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa, from 5 – 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 2, Trisagion prayers at 7pm.
Funeral Mass will be Celebrated at the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, 1315 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Wednesday, May 3, at 11 o'clock with interment to follow at Beechwood Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to the Hellenic Community of Ottawa and to the Monastere Vierge Marie la Consolatrice in Brownsburg-Chatham, QC, are appreciated.