Katherine Papanikolas

Katherine Papanikolas, 97, our lovely mother, grandmother, and great grandmother passed peacefully from this life to the next on October 28, 2015, never waking from her nap. She was a wonderful Wife, Mother, YiaYia, Aunt, Sister, Sister-in-Law and friend. She will be missed by all. 

Born in New York City on January 22, 1918, to Greek immigrant parents Stelios (Stephen) and Eugenia Foroglou. Her father died when she was only 17, leaving her mother to provide for their two daughters.  

She met the love of her life, Gus Papanikolas (of Magna, Utah), at a church party in New York City in 1943. Katherine, her sister Sultana, and female friends noticed Gus across the room. He was a captain in the Army on leave from Greenland —  ruggedly handsome in his uniform. 

Katherine's friends said, "Look at that cute guy. Let's go meet him." But Katherine, displaying her wisdom even at a young age, replied, "No, he'll have to come to us."

He did — and Gus was smitten.

Gus offered to take her and her sister home from the party in a taxi, and asked Katherine for a date the next night. She agreed, but only if her mother could come as a chaperone. Dashing Gus took them to the famous 21 Club, seemed to know everyone, "worked the room," and bought drinks for all.

Late in the evening, Katherine excused herself to the powder room, and Gus, sitting alone with Katherine's mother Eugenia, said, "I want to marry your daughter." To which Eugenia replied, "Which one?" Gus said, "This one!"

After a whirlwind romance, they were married two weeks later in a full-blown, festive NYC Greek wedding. It was war time; decisions were made quickly.

Immediately after the wedding, Gus was redeployed to Persia with Army Intelligence.

Meanwhile, Katherine moved from the Big Apple to Salt Lake City and then to tiny, Baker, Oregon to form a new life and start a family.  Quite a culture shock for her, but with the love and support of her husband and his mother, brothers, sisters, sisters-in-law, and her sister, she managed wonderfully — even getting along fine with Mrs. Cavaulo and the friendly goat.   

Katherine was a great listener and invariably offered loving and insightful advice on any problem you brought to her. Even late in life her children valued and sought her counsel. She always had a wise word, and when she didn't, she would take it to the Lord in prayer until she got an answer from Him, and then passed it on.

She never stopped learning and could give you her latest — and insightful — take on the current 2016 presidential race.

Her daughter Chris once walked in on her — at age 97 — while she was squinting at the TV, watching a PBS math professor present complicated equations. Chris said to her, "Mom, what are you watching?  — you can't see." Katherine said, "I didn't ever get to go to college, so I'm learning math now."

She loved the opera (she was a season ticket holder) and classical music. 

In the last year of her life, Katherine had to give up the independent life she so greatly enjoyed, and move to an assisted living center, unable to walk, having great difficulty both seeing and hearing. Yet on her bathroom mirror was a tiny, hand-written note on a piece of torn scratch paper, which said: "I can do this."

She was an inspiration to many people and leaves a golden legacy to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of how to handle life's difficulties with grace, peace, and, most of all, thanksgiving. Despite her challenges in her final months, it was uncanny and remarkable that, in the midst of it all, she continually gave thanks for her blessings and family — and was so grateful to her Lord Jesus Christ.

Katherine has five children: Stephanie, Christina (John Fredenberger), William (Gillian Hanson), Mark (Denise Landures), and John. She has nine grandchildren: Tonya, Gus (Sarah Murray), Angie, Kyle (Ashley Cameron), Stacie, Ari, Sean, Lanny and Elena Papanikolas. She has seven great grandchildren: Lexi, Landon, Laiyla, Chase, Camden and Gavin.  She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, sister Sultana and daughter Stephanie.

The family would like to thank Katherine's marvelous helpers and her Donner Towers Condominium Manager, James Hilbert, who was so kind to her for many, many years.  

Her helpers were:

Anna Xarepe,

Celeste Del Fuego

Cynthia Aversa,

Juliana Melo,

Randi Tisdale,

Reinje Corbett,

Titiana Begelow

 We would also like to thank the very warm and efficient staff at Cottonwood Place Assisted Living, who made her life comfortable.

May Her Memory Be Eternal.

The viewing will be held Tuesday Nov 3^rd from 6 – 8pm at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 S 900 E, Salt Lake City. The funeral will be held Wednesday Nov 4^th at 11:30am at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 279 S 300 W, Salt Lake City with Burial to follow.

In lieu of flowers you can donate to the Stephanie Papanikolas Scholarship Fund c/o Greek Orthodox Church, 279 S 300 W, SLC UT 84101 or the Gus Papanikolas Memorial Scholarship at Westminster College  1840 S 1300 E, SLC UT 84105.

A FINAL NOTE TO OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY:

Please come and join us with your own narratives or stories of how Katherine may have influenced your life.  We will have a sign-in book available for comments, and for online entries, please visit www.starkfuneral.com and click the "condolences" tab at the top of Katherine's obituary.

We profoundly thank all of you for being a part of the Papanikolas family's life.