Helen Yeatropoulos

Helen Yeatropoulos nee Megas, 99 of Jacksonville, Florida passed after a brief illness on August 27, 2022. Born in Asheville, North Carolina to Anthony and Angeliki Megas on April 7, 1923. Married to James Yeatropoulos (dec) on February 3, 1945. Survived by 2 children, Anthony Yeatropoulos (Jennifer) and Sophia Mouzakis, 4 grandchildren Jessica “Nikki” Koci (Roland), Chrisoula Harris (Justin), Katherine Paine-Mouzakis (Devin) and James Campbell (Hallie) and 5 great-grandchildren Alec Koci, Zakkary Harris, Hudson Harris, Roselynne Paine-Mouzakis and most recently Madison Whaley.

Helen lived an extraordinary life. Although it began in Asheville, she lived most of her life in Jacksonville. She moved here as a little girl in the midst of the Great Depression with her immigrant parents. As he had in Asheville previously, her father opened a restaurant where the whole family worked, including Helen. She would help her dad in the mornings before school and again after school and Greek school. She graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in 1941. At Jackson she earned the coveted Tiger Key for basketball. Upon graduation she continued helping in her father’s restaurant and went to secretarial school. She worked for a doctor at NAS Jacksonville.

She met James Yeatropoulos at Saint John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church’s annual Easter picnic in 1943. He had come to Jacksonville as a young Ensign in the Navy. James fell instantly, madly in love with her. She needed a little convincing. But convince her he did and they married in Saint John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church. They remained a truly loving couple until his passing on January 14, 2015.

She devoted her long, enviable life to family and service. She served as a Girl Scout leader and a candy striper just to name a couple of her outside church activities. Her primary service and devotion, though was to her beloved church. She served the church as a lifelong member of the Philoptochos and Daughters of Penelope having been an officer in both at some point or another and actively participated in both until very recently. Her greatest contribution and greatest love was the kitchen. She earned the nickname Kyria Kouzina (Madam Kitchen) at the church on Atlantic Blvd. She cooked for countless Greek Festivals and luncheons. It was her way of expressing love through food. She earned numerous awards and accolades for her service to SJTD including being the first woman of our community to receive the Archangel Michael Award as parishioner of the year.

She will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by a great many people. May her memory

be eternal.

Funeral Service will be Wednesday, August 31, 2022, 10:30-12:00 atSt. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church, Jacksonville, FL.

Funeral arrangements made by Hardage-Giddens Oaklawn Chapel, Jacksonville, FL