Maria Condaxis

Maria Lona Costas Condaxis, age 94, passed away on August 26, 2025, in Jacksonville, Florida. She is predeceased by her parents, John and Leola Costas, brother Deno Costas, and sister Irene Decker. She is survived by her children Melissa Gonzalez, John Condaxis, and Caryn Assi (Danny). She leaves behind four grandchildren: Cristina Gonzalez, Javier Gonzalez (Katrina), Madelaine Zarou (Farhan), and Raymond Assi, and four great grandchildren: Yasmin Dominguez, Theodore Gonzalez, Vanessa Gonzalez, and Taleen Zarou.

A proud Jacksonville native, Maria grew up in the Springfield and San Marco neighborhoods, graduating from Landon High School in 1949. She was an active member of the local Greek Orthodox community. Her father was one of the original members of St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church in 1916. She served many years as the president of the Philoptocos chapter at St. John the Divine. Additionally, she helped to develop the Center for Greek Studies at the University of Florida in honor of her childhood Greek School teacher, Maria Marees.

Maria was a woman ahead of her time, taking the initiative to include women in local political and business communities. In the early 1970’s, she was an active member of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and the Women’s Business Owners Association. She volunteered with multiple Mayoral administrations, including those of Hans Tanzler, Jake Godbold, and Tommy Hazouri. A lover of all things international, Maria was instrumental in putting Jacksonville on the world’s stage, bringing organizations including Sister Cities to the city. In 1990, she founded the International Visitors Center, known today as GlobalJax. In 1999, she founded Language Services International, known today as LangServ, providing foreign language interpreting and translation services.

The funeral will be held on Thursday, August 28, at 12:00 p.m. at St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church (12760 Beach Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32246) with the internment to follow at Evergreen Cemetery (4535 N. Main Street, Jacksonville, FL 32206). In lieu of flowers, please make donations to St John The Divine Greek Orthodox Church.