Nia (Scopelitis) Cortese

Born June 22, 1935, in South Bend, Indiana, as Ourania to Greek immigrant parents, Nia grew up in the close-knit Greek community that shaped her lifelong devotion to family and faith. She fondly remembered childhood days spent playing outside, road trips to Chicago with her family and cousins, and afternoons at the movies. From an early age, she loved music and reading—singing in the church choir and in school musicals, playing piano and cello, and devouring novels and classics alike.

She graduated from Indiana University with honors and was selected for the distinguished Mortar Board National College Honor Society. In June 1957, she eloped with her love, Dr. Thomas A. Cortese, Jr., beginning a marriage of 67 years filled with devotion and resilience. They first lived in Detroit, Michigan, while Thomas completed his schooling, and Nia worked briefly before becoming a mother. Soon after, they moved to San Francisco during Thomas’s military service, before settling in Indianapolis. Together, they raised four children, built a home filled with warmth, enjoyed travel adventures, committed themselves to helping others, and welcomed nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Nia was a lifelong member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, where she found both spiritual grounding and community. She was a dedicated and impactful leader within the Ladies Philoptochos Society and also devoted years of service to various organizations, including the St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild.

Nia cherished time with her family, whether gathered around the table or traveling together to Greece and Italy. She loved cooking and perfecting her dishes, sharing conversations with friends, and finding ways to quietly care for others—whether preparing care packages for the homeless or visiting those who were ill or homebound. Known for her stoic manner, sharp wit, keen memory, and high expectations, she encouraged those around her to be independent and strong. She will be remembered for her quiet resilience, her generosity, and the phrase she often repeated in the face of life’s challenges: “It is what it is.”

She is survived by her brother, Alki Scopelitis; her daughters Alexi, Dena, and Joanna; her grandchildren Sophia, Anastasia, Andreana, Angelica, Anthony, Eleni, Kara, Alex, and Thomas; and her four great-grandchildren. She has been joyfully reunited with her beloved husband, Thomas (2024), her son, Thomas A. Cortese III (2019), and her parents, Emmanuel and Alexandra (Economou) Scopelitis.

Her family gives thanks for her long and meaningful life—a life dedicated to love, family, faith, and service.

Visitation and funeral services will be held at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Carmel, Indiana, on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. Visitation will take place from 11 a.m.–12 p.m. EST, followed by the funeral service from 12 p.m.–1 p.m. EST.

In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a donation made to MD Anderson Cancer Center, Departments of Lymphoma and Leukemia, in Houston, Texas, whose care gave her and her family hope, or to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Carmel, Indiana, her spiritual home.

May her memory be eternal.