Sophia Angeliki Mouzakis

Sophia was born in 1961 in Athens, Greece and raised in an orphanage until she was adopted as an infant by James and Helen Yeatropoulos and brought to the United States. As a child, she had a happy upbringing with her parents and her brother Tony. Her father’s role as a U.S. Naval officer took the young family from Florida to Georgia and eventually to Naples, Italy where Sophia spent some of her earliest years. Eventually they settled back home in Jacksonville where Sophia grew up and graduated from Terry Parker High School in 1979. As a teenager, she and her family spent summers operating a family-owned restaurant in Lincoln, New Hampshire, where Sophia formed many lifelong friendships.

Later, she earned her degree in Drama from the University of South Florida in Tampa. She enjoyed participating in musical theatre and while at USF, Sophia starred as Lucy in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.

After college she returned briefly to Jacksonville, before moving to Washington, DC. As a young adult there, Sophia supported herself mostly by working in the restaurant business, which she had known since childhood. She enjoyed her time in DC, but chose to return home to Jacksonville following the birth of her goddaughter Noelle so that she could be closer to help with the child’s upbringing.

In 2001, she married Fotis Mouzakis, who enriched Sophia’s life by giving her two loving stepdaughters, Chrisoula and Katy and by taking her on adventures all over the world. While married to Fotis, she spent numerous summers at their home on the island of Tzia (Kea). With Fotis, Sophia also took trips to England, France, Japan, Egypt and several cruises of the Caribbean. For many years they lived in Tucson, Arizona where Sophia volunteered with a horse rescue organization, horses having been a passion of hers since she worked at various stables as a teenager. Also while in Arizona Sophia did some acting in minor films, having never lost her love of performing. The couple eventually returned to Jacksonville, but they divorced in 2019.

After Sophia’s divorce, she purchased a home in the Englewood neighborhood of Jacksonville where she lived until her death. This time was filled with joy in the arrival of her five beautiful grandchildren who affectionately called her Yiayia. During this final stage of her life she devoted herself to volunteering with organizations that drew attention to voting rights, women’s reproductive rights, health insurance for all, and justice for returning citizens. She believed in diversity, equity, and inclusion and spent her final energies supporting these ideals.

Sophia was fluent in both Greek and English. She was our lovely songbird, with her wonderful alto singing voice which she contributed to her church choir. She loved entertaining and her house was filled with friends and family right up to the end. She was a magnificent cook, a formidable Scrabble opponent, and an animal lover and mother to two rescue chihuahuas. Sophia had a quick smile and a forgiving spirit. She was kind, loving, generous, beyond beautiful, mischievous, extremely witty, and a loyal friend. She will be sorely missed by so many.

Sophia is survived by her brother Tony Yeatropoulos (Jennifer), stepdaughter Chrisoula Harris (Justin), stepdaughter Katy Mouzakis (Devin Paine), goddaughter Noelle Withington (Paul), five grandchildren (Zakkary Harris, Hudson Harris, Roselynne Mouzakis, Cooper Harris, and Kamden Mouzakis), aunt Eva Mastro, the Koci and Campbell families, and cousins and friends all over the world.

A funeral service for Sophia will be held on January 28th, 2025 at 11am at St John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church at 12760 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville, FL. Visitation will take place prior to the service from 10:30am to 11am at St John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church. Burial will follow the service at Evergreen Cemetery at 4535 N. Main St., Jacksonville, FL.