Angela Ziros

Angela Ziros, affectionately known by family and friends as Kiki, was born in Kalamata, Greece in 1934, the second child of four children. During much of her youth, she lived through difficult historical times, such as the worldwide economic depression and the occupation of Greece by the Germans and Italians during WWII. However, despite these hardships, Kiki was a joyful child who welcomed and protected her little brothers. Theirs was a family of educators; Kiki’s father was a religion teacher at the local high school, and both Kiki and her older sister, Sonia, went to college to become teachers. As a young adult, Kiki emigrated to Canada and eventually to the U.S., first landing in Connecticut and then later Baltimore, MD, where she ran a successful upscale Greek restaurant. In 1970, she moved to Atlanta to be near her beloved little brother, Vassilis, and her new first nephew, Costaki. There, she rode a bus from the Emory area to downtown Atlanta every day to work in a retail dress store called the Mirror. Anyone who ever met Kiki knew she was quite the salesperson with a gift for persuasion. She also had a penchant for fancy clothes and used her lunch breaks to shop at Rich's downtown. For many years, Kiki also taught Greek to children in the Atlanta area via formal classes at the cathedral and private tutoring. Everyone knew and loved Kiki, and she taught so long that she eventually taught the children of her first students. In the summer of 1977, she took her newest nephew, Andreas, to Greece while his mother, Marj, stayed in Atlanta to work on her studies. The toddler kept them all busy and delighted grandparents and family in Greece, leading to a lifelong and inseparable bond between Kiki and Andreas. As a wonderful caretaker, Kiki later returned to Greece when it was time to care for her aging parents. In the meantime, she met a new history professor at Kennesaw Junior College, Dr. Apostolos Ziros (Toli), who was a Greek from Egypt. When she went to Greece, they continued to correspond through actual paper letters and were happily married on his next trip to Greece. As soon as feasible, Kiki returned to live in Georgia where she resumed teaching Greek and was the quintessential wife of a college professor, attending and hosting dinners and other social events. In the early 1980's, her brother and family returned to the Atlanta area, where Vassilis joined Toli teaching at Kennesaw College. This gave Kiki more opportunity to interact with her American nephews and to take yearly summer trips to Greece to see her younger brother Leonidas, his wife Despina, and her new nephew, Kostis, and niece Artemis. Aunt Kiki was well loved by all of her family in both countries. When Toli retired, he and Kiki moved to Boca Raton, Florida. Walking and swimming every day, they found a new group of friends, and received many visitors, family, and others who were happy to visit, especially in February. There, Kiki spoiled a whole new generation of children. In 2012, when Toli died, her Atlanta family convinced her to move back nearer to them. She returned to Marietta and lived at Atherton Place, cooking, entertaining, and playing with family and friends. Kiki showed up for all the activities, from Rummikub, Bingo, to shows, and trips to the Dollar store. (How many plastic containers does one really need?). Kiki kept in touch with her Greek family and friends by telephone and occasional trips back to Greece, and greatly enjoyed it when her Greek family made it to Florida and Marietta. In July 2015, her nephew, Kostis, got married in Greece, and of course, Kiki (at age 80) and all the family from the U.S. made their way across the Atlantic to participate in this “Big Fat Greek Wedding.” It was an event to behold with several days of partying. Opa! In 2023, Kiki moved one more time to an assisted living facility nearer to Andreas and Marj. There, she had more help as needed, and family could pop in easily. Wherever Kiki has lived, she made many friends and was always cheerful and grateful. She was a loving friend who always made those around her feel good and smile. For all the years of her life, she was sunshine in an often cloudy world. Her continuous unwavering faith kept her strong through good times and struggles, and she was always positive. She was a true joy and will be greatly missed by multiple generations of family members near and far on both sides of the ocean. A Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November, 24th at Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Marietta. In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to consider a donation to Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church or the Parkinson's foundation.

Angela Ziros

November 20, 1934 - November 21, 2023