Antonia Vanis

Antonia "Toni" Vanis, a loving wife, supportive mother, and grandmother, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Dec 24, 2022. Toni defied the odds against Alzheimer's disease for many years and never let it take away her spark.

Toni was born in Providence, Rhode Island, to Nicholas and Mary Tesseris. Toni often recalled her long childhood summers spent at Narragansett Pier Beach with her parents and brothers. The Tesseris family moved to Okemos when Toni's father purchased Kewpee's Cafeteria on Grand River Avenue in East Lansing. Toni graduated from Michigan State University and was a Spanish teacher at West Junior High in Lansing. She often visited The Eagle restaurant in downtown Lansing, where she met her future husband, Alex Vanis. Toni was a supportive wife as Alex went on to make his mark on the Lansing and East Lansing community with the iconic Coral Gables Restaurant, Alex's Restaurant, and many other businesses.

It was incredibly important for her to carry on the family tradition of creating community and comfort through food. She was well known amongst her friends and family for her elaborate, annual Christmas party and for making everyone feel welcome in her home. Toni also had a great appreciation for the arts and travel. She enjoyed making trips to the Art Institute of Chicago, volunteered at The Wharton Center for Performing Arts at MSU, and loved going to the movies. Toni was active in her church community, the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Lansing, and part of the Philoptochos society. Her proudest accomplishment was her family, and she found immense joy when all her children and grandchildren were together. Toni will be remembered for her sense of humor, quick wit, and warm personality.

Toni is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Alex, her children Marina McCarthy (Bill), Stuart Vanis (Elizabeth), grandchildren Alexa, Caline, and William McCarthy, Alex and Stephanie Vanis, her brother, George Tesseris (Soussana) and her many nieces and nephews who were all loved by Auntie Toni. She is preceded in death by her brother, Spiro Tesseris, and sister-in-law, Sophia Tesseris. Her family would like to thank Cierra Pavlica, Anna Fulcher, and Jenna Towery for their devoted care of Toni in the final years of her life.

The funeral will take place on Thursday, December 29 at 11am, with a visitation an hour beforehand at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Lansing, MI which will begin at 10am, with the Trisagion Prayers offered at 10:30am.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association or Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.