Mrs. Erene (Behrakis) Koukias, 78, of Lowell and Seabrook, N.H. died Tuesday, March 18, after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
Erene was born June 5, 1929 in Lowell, Massachusetts a daughter of the late Drakoulis and Stella (Zaroulis) Behrakis.
A lifelong resident she attended the Greek Parochial School of Holy Trinity, Bartlett Jr. High, Lowell High School, Lowell Commercial College and Lowell Technological Institute.
She retired from Muro Pharmaceutical of Tewksbury in 1997 where she had been Chief Financial Officer. Prior to that she was the Controller for the former Dooner Laboratories of Haverhill.
Erene was a lifelong member of the Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity in Lowell where she volunteered her services since she was a teen. She was elected President of the parish council serving from 2000 to 2002. She was a member of the school committee of the Hellenic American Academy of Lowell and sat on the board of the Hellenic American Academy Endowment Trust, the Whistler House Museum of Art, the Lowell Hellenic Heritage Association, the Hellenic Culture Society, the Ladies Philoptochos Society of the Holy Trinity Church, and the Corporate Advisory Board of WGBH. She also was a member of the prestigious Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Endowment Fund.
She is survived by her loving husband of 54 years, Mr. Alexander S. Koukias of Lowell; her son and daughter in law, Stephen and Robin Koukias of E. Kingston, N.H.; her daughter and son in law, Gail and Douglas Philipon of Hollis, N.H.; two granddaughters, Eleni and Alexia Philipon of Hollis, N.H.; two brothers and sisters in law, Charles and June Behrakis of Lowell, George and Margo Behrakis of Tewksbury; also many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Erene was the sister to the late Carl Behrakis and Ourania Behrakis.
Friends will be received at the HELLENIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY, Lewis St. Lowell on Thursday from 4 to 8pm. Her funeral will take place on Friday with services at the HELLENIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY at 10a.m. Interment in Westlawn II Cemetery, Lowell. IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, memorial contributions may be made in her memory to the Hellenic American Academy Endowment Trust or to the Stella and Ourania Behrakis Scholarship Fund, 41 Broadway St. Lowell, Ma. 01854.