Golfo (Papaioannou) Mitsopoulos, 93, of Worcester, loving mother and grandmother, and lifelong, devoted Greek Orthodox Christian, amateur chef and talented crocheter, passed away on Friday, November 10, 2023 surrounded by her loving family. She was predeceased by her husband of 70 years, Christos Mitsopoulos; her parents Polyxeni (Ziakou) and Stefanos Papaioannou, her sister Vasiliki Papaioannou and her brother Sotirios Papaioannou. She is survived by her son Dimitri James of Worcester and daughter Ioanna Mantalvanos and her husband Vasilios of Worcester, her four siblings, Panayiotis Papaioannou and his wife Katerina of Athens, Greece, Marianthi Sirmakesis of Ioannina, Greece, Evangelia Bairaktaris of Athens, Greece and Ioulia Bozikis of Ioannina, Greece; her four grandchildren Vasiliki Kourmouzi of Worcester, Kleio Kourmouzi Tzeremes and her husband Ioannis of Auburn, Joanna James Moschos and her husband Charles of Ridgefield, CT, Christos James and his wife Ashlee of Worcester; her seven great grandchildren, Elena, Maria, Mariella, Zoe, Ava, Sotiria, and Alexandros, and several nieces and nephews. Golfo was born in 1930 in the northwest region of Greece, Epirus, in the village of Amarantos. She grew up during WWII and by the time of the Greek Civil War leading to the country’s depression, as the eldest of the siblings having lost their father, she walked miles through the mountains to find food and tend to the fields and farm, so that the family would survive. After marrying Christos, and having two children, they soon after moved to Athens where her husband was in the construction business while she raised her children and oversaw the household. In 1997, Golfo and her husband immigrated to the U.S. where her son and his family were based in Worcester, Massachusetts. She cooked spectacular meals daily, including her famous bread and pitas with homemade phyllo dough sharing them with friends, family and her beloved neighbors, as well as hosting her entire family for the annual tradition of a lavish meal including magiritsa (lamb stew delicacy) after midnight mass for the Greek Orthodox Easter, even into her 90s. She was deeply faithful and a day didn’t go by without her saying her prayers. She had special bonds with her grandchildren and enjoyed sharing stories with them from her days growing up in Greece and the many lives she impacted. She enjoyed her plants and humorous tender moments with both her children who stood close by her side until the very end.
The funeral and calling hours will be Wednesday, November 15th starting at 10:30 a.m. at St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 102 Russell Street, Worcester followed by the burial at Hope Cemetery. Although Golfo loved flowers, the family asks that donations are made in her name to St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral. O'CONNOR BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME, 592 Park Avenue is assisting the family with arrangements.