Terry Corkos

Terry Corkos was born Terpsichore Haretakis in Armeni, Chania, Crete, Greece in December 1931. She and her siblings were born United States citizens, as their father had become a United States citizen after joining the US Army during World War I. He returned to Crete after WWI, got married and started his family.

She moved to California as a teenager with her family in 1946 after surviving German occupation during World War II, and joined the Los Angeles Greek community. She attended the San Julian Street Greek Orthodox Church and St. Sophia Cathedral. She attended Berendo Junior High and Manual Arts High School, before leaving school to work full time as a seamstress to help pay off the family home mortgage.

Terry and her husband Perry met while learning English at night school, they married in 1954. They became friends and future Koumbari with other Greek immigrants and Greek Americans from the community. Terry and Perry lived in Los Angeles, Inglewood and Torrance, California. Their children Sophia, Aris and Alex were born between 1955 and 1960. The family was involved in founding the original St. Katherine community in Redondo Beach.

Throughout her adult life, Terry worked as a seamstress, Spires hostess, and in the Gardena High School food service department. She volunteered as a Sunday school teacher, Cub Scout Den Mother, and GOYA advisor.

In 1980 at age 49, Terry had a brush with death from a serious deep cerebral aneurysm. With the help of her surgeons and medications, she recovered and survived to live another 43 years.

Over the years, Terry and Perry traveled often to Burlington Ontario Canada and Pittsburgh Pennsylvania to spend the holidays with Sophia and Alex and their families. After retirement, they spent their summers in Perry's village Skala Kefalonia Greece, visiting with friends and family, and entertaining and cooking for visitors, who were always welcomed. She looked forward to these annual trips for many years, before traveling became too difficult.

Her faith in God was of utmost importance, and she loved her Church and her St. Katherine's community, especially her Senior group friends and Koumbari. She looked forward to monthly Senior's meetings and the annual Greek Festival, lending her skills to the food and pastry preparation, to the kitchen service and Senior's booth.

She loved and excelled in knitting and crocheting, and shared her creations and her techniques with family and friends. Her finished products were perfect in every way, every time.

She was a passionate cook, often single-handedly preparing multi-course meals for large groups of family and friends. She took great pleasure in sharing her love of the kitchen with her Grandchildren, friends and Koumbari. Her large batch pastries were lovingly shared with family, friends and neighbors, and were regularly packaged and shipped via USPS to Burlington Ontario Canada and Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

Her favorite restaurants were Spires and Y-Not (Patty Melt) and La Capilla (Chile Relleno).

She enjoyed caring for her houseplants, as well as her outdoor Orchid and Plumeria plants, which perpetually produced beautiful and sweet smelling flowers, which she often shared with others.

She embraced technology, becoming proficient in and enjoyed using her IPad and Smartphone to share photographs, recipes and staying in touch with family and friends via Skype, Facebook and Messaging apps. She shared Skype time with her daughter Sophia every evening 7 day a week, 365 days a year.

Terry also was driving herself in her car until April of this year. Back and leg issues forced her to retire from driving, but she was always a careful driver and never was involved in an accident. Her typical destinations were St. Katherine, Green Hills Cemetary, her doctor appointments, Spires, Ralphs, Costco and Sam's Club.

In 2015, Terry decided to honor her father's memory in a special way. Her father had passed in 1963 father and was buried in 1963 at Pacific Crest Cemetery in Redondo Beach. As she and Perry and other family members began buying plots at Green Hills in the St. Katherine's section, she felt sad for her father being alone. She inquired about moving his remains to Green Hills to join his family. After contemplating the immense scope of the work and costs involved, she decided to move her father's remains to Crete to be laid to rest in his village Cemetery, which is what he had wished for before passing. After many months of planning and coordinating, with the help of people at Pacific Crest Cemetery, mortuaries in Torrance and Crete, the airlines and the village priest, her father's remains were moved to the village Cemetery in Crete. She was able to watch video of the initial memorial service when his remains were finally laid to rest in Crete.

Terry is preceded in death by her husband of 62 years Perry Corkos, parents Alexandros and Hareklia Haretakis, and siblings Mary Roumele, Nick, John and Pete Haretakis.

She is survived by children Sophia and Philip Papadopoulos, Aris and Joyce Corkos, and Alex and Marian Corkos. And by her sister Hope and Angelo Passidakis

Grandchildren Demitri and Maggie Papadopoulos, great-grandchildern Eva and Theo

Grandson Nick Papadopoulos

Grandchildren Anthony and Lesley Papadopoulos, great-grandchildren Jackie and April

Grandchildren Paula and Hernani Pires

Granddaughter Krista Corkos

Grandson Marcus Papadopoulos

Grandchildren Natalie and Stamati Tripodis, great-granddaughter Talia

Grandson Jason Papadopoulos

Grandchildren Melina and Casey Riedmann

Grandchildren Anthony and Renee Corkos

Grandson Perry Corkos

Grandchildren Bridget and Charlie Eeles

Terry is also survived by her sister-in-law Cathy Haretakis, many cousins, nieces and nephews, and Godchildren and Koumbari

We lovingly call her Mom, Yiayia, Terry, Terpsi, Thea Terpsi, Nouna, Koumbara and Friend. We are thankful and joyful for her life well-lived. She will be missed