Anastasia "Babe" Kerasotes

1921 - 2017

Anastasia "Babe" Kerasotes 1921 - 2017
Anastasia ("Babe") Kerasotes passed away peacefully at 4:45 PM Sunday January 29th at her home in Tucson, surrounded by family and friends.
In addition to her sister Diane (George) Miller of Champaign IL, Babe is survived by her children, Victoria (George) Constan of Naples FL; Dean (Sandi Aguilera) Kerasotes of Stuart, FL; and Anthony (Barbara) Kerasotes of Tucson AZ.
Also surviving, are four grandchildren, Ted (Stacy) Constan of Park Ridge, IL; Evan Constan of Denver CO; Adam (Amanda) Kerasotes of Naperville, IL; and Galen (Jerry Thomas) Kerasotes of Chicago, IL, and niece Kari Pelafos of St. Charles, MO and nephew Mark (Diane) Pelafos of Champaign, IL.
Most important to her are surviving great grandsons, Georgie Constan of Park Ridge, IL, and Nicholas Kerasotes of Naperville, IL.
Anastasia Katsinas Kerasotes was born November 10, 1921 in Decatur, Illinois, the first of the four children – Anastasia, Chris, Alexis, Diane – of John and Ethel Katsinas, who had separately immigrated from Greece as children themselves and settled in Champaign. Friends of her parents called Anastasia "Babe" when she was yet a baby and the name stuck throughout her life.
She recounts how, as a little girl, she would go with her father to his Champaign Katsinas Restaurant and sometimes stand on an upturned "Coke" box to attend the cash register. Growing up she would do "whatever had to be done to help Dad" at the restaurant.
Babe graduated from the elite University High School in 1939. She received a B.A. degree from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1943 with majors in Spanish and History. Later when this or that friend, learning of her education, asked her to speak Spanish, she would say "adios." A sense of humor was part of her heritage.
Dad John had as many as five restaurants – located in Champaign, Decatur, Mattoon, Collinsville, and Springfield – and she worked in the business for him until she married Louis Kerasotes on July 10th 1947. Louis was in his family's movie theatre business and built up the Kerasotes theatre chain with his brothers while Babe gave birth to their three children, Anthony in 1948; Dean in 1950; and Vicki in 1952. After Louis died in 1988, Anthony and Dean continued and expanded the business.
Babe loved University of Illinois football and basketball. Her father was such an avid fan that he purchased the family plot in Roselawn Cemetery, bordering on 4th street in Champaign directly across from the stadium, so that cheering fans of the "Fighting Illini" could be heard from their graves.
Babe's memberships were in St. Anthony's Hellenic Orthodox Church, Springfield IL; St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, Tucson AZ; Springfield Woman's Club; Springfield Art Association; Chicago Variety Club (now defunct); the women's auxiliaries of her churches; U of I Alumni Association (life). She maintained homes in Springfield and Tucson.
Visitation will be held 4:30 – 6:30 pm, Monday February 6th at Bisch Funeral Home, 2931 South Koke Mill Road, Springfield, IL. A short service will follow the visitation.
Funeral services begin at 10 am Tuesday February 7th, at St. Anthony's Hellenic Orthodox Church, 1600 S. Glenwood Ave, Springfield, IL. Burial will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
At 12 pm, a reception will be held at Illini Country Club, 1601 Illini Rd, Springfield, IL.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations in memory of Anastasia Kerasotes be made to:
Gus and Flora Kerasotes YMCA
Attn: Sue Jackson
4550 W. Iles Ave
Springfield, IL 62711