Xanthi Stefanakis

Xanthi was born Xanthi Melighis in 1931 in Karditsa, Greece. Xanthi became a nurse and moved to Athens where she worked and lived, until she left for Canada in 1954 aboard a ship carrying nurses bound for Halifax, where nurses were needed urgently.

Xanthi moved from Halifax to Montreal, then to Vancouver, and then Nanaimo. She worked at Nanaimo General hospital, and there she met her soulmate to be, Nick: a sea Captain that had docked in Nanaimo from Greece. Their adventure began, they married and had two daughters, and moved back to Vancouver.

Xanthi worked at Grace Hospital and was the “go to” translator for Greek immigrant mothers-to-be when they came to hospital. In her many years of nursing, Xanthi helped deliver many babies, including babies of friends we still have today. Xanthi and Nick loved to travel with their girls and their favourite holiday was going to the Okanagan every year to pick fruit. Xanthi would jar and preserve her peaches in the Motel room, ready to take back to Vancouver.

Her daughters married and had children of their own. Xanthi was a loving and very involved grandmother to her seven grandchildren; she was also double blessed to have five great-grandchildren. Xanthi had a passion for cooking and entertaining and she and Nick enjoyed a life together with many friends, vacations and happiness.

Even after Nick passed, she still found joy in her gardening and spending time with her family. Throughout her life, Xanthi was a very active volunteer for her church and community and her giving nature and compassion for people is what many who crossed paths with her will remember her for.

Xanthi is survived by her children Kelly (George), Panagiota (George); grandchildren Cleo (Georgia), Xanthi, Theofanis (Brooke), Agoritsa, Nicolas (Nikki), Anastasia, and Xanthi; great-grandchildren Alexia, Georgia, Gianna, Panagiota, and Ariadne.

She is also survived by her sister Dimitra Galanos and family.

Xanthi was more than our mother - she was a pillar of strength for many people that knew her in her 90 years of life. Xanthi was unique, she knew no hate, and passed no judgement, her heart was genuine, she was an inspiration to us all, which we will hold forever.