Mary Stefanakis Zarpas

1924 - 2024

Mary Stefanakis Zarpas of Washington, DC and Norfolk, VA passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 16, 2024, surrounded by family. She was 100.

Born in Binghamton, NY in 1924, Mary left the US with her mother, brother, and sister in 1932 to return to the family home in Kefalonia. Mary returned to America alone by steamship at the age of 12, first to NY and then to Washington, DC to be reunited with her father in Bethesda, later working in his DuPont Circle restaurant, the Commodore. She later took a position as assistant to Ann Archibald, Assistant Vice President, and first female executive in commercial aviation, at Pan American World Airways' Washington, DC office.

In 1952, Mary met her future husband, CPA and commercial real estate broker Mike Zarpas at a dance at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral. They were married and raised three children – Christopher, Stephen, and Michael. In 1968, during a turbulent period in her husband's professional life, Mary and Mike were divorced. Mary secured her associate degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management at Northern Virginia Community College and joined Government Services Inc, the exclusive food service provider to all Federal executive departments. There, as regional director, Mary managed the cafeterias at Agriculture, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, and State, supervising over 500 employees.

In 1979 Mike and Mary were convinced by longtime friends Blackie and Lou Auger to join them on a business trip to London, Zurich, and Athens. Upon returning from the trip, Mike and Mary announced to their astonished and delighted children that they planned to remarry and did so on August 10, 1979. Their oldest son Christopher served as best man at a civil ceremony at the Arlington, VA Courthouse.

Mike was then a successful commercial real estate broker. Mary joined the National Portrait Gallery as a docent, a volunteer position she held for 20 years. She also served as a member of the parish council and a docent at the St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Mary also joined THIS for Diplomats (THIS), which was organized in 1961 at the request of the U.S. Department of State to welcome and assist diplomatic families posted to Washington, DC. Mary hosted over 50 luncheons at her home in McLean for the spouses of newly appointed foreign ambassadors as honored guests to help acclimate them to life in Washington

Among Mary's many and varied interests throughout her life were cooking, traveling, reading, gardening and collecting works of art in every medium. However, nothing was more important to her than her friends and family. In 2007 she relocated to Norfolk, Virginia to be closer to her children and grandchildren.

Mary is survived by her sister Helen and her children: Christopher, Stephen and wife Devon, Michael and wife Marie. Mary was incredibly proud of her 11 grandchildren: Calliope, Eva, Michael (Karen), Stella, Samuel, Alexander, Nicholas, Anna, Zoe, Caroline and Ted. They were of great comfort to Mary in her final weeks.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, June 20 at 10 a.m. at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 2815 36th St NW, Washington, DC. Interment to follow at Colombia Memorial Park, 3411 Arlington Blvd, Arlington VA