Theodora Doris Ploska

Theodora (Doris) Ploska, at age 98 of Melville, NY, passed away suddenly on 4/15/2026.Born on November 16, 1927. Mom was the youngest of her siblings, her brother Gregory and Sister Heonia (Jenny). They were very close to each other and grew up in Queens, Corona, NY with their parents, immigrants from Kozani, Greece. As a young girl she assisted her father with his restaurant by jumping on Subways to locations in the boroughs of NYC to pick up meat and other products required for him to run the family business. She was the youngest and the favorite of her hard-working parents, losing her father at an early age. She attended PS 19 in Corona then Newtown High School in Elmhurst and attended Greek school. She was an excellent student and became bilingual. After High School she went to work at Bloomingdales and became the top sales representative in a job she loved. She was selling the just invented woman’s stockings, first time ever on shelves, an interesting story she told. She became a member of the select 25 flying squad for Bloomingdales. She was a member of the Greek Orthodox Church in Corona and later at the St. Paul’s Cathedral in Hempstead. In 1952 she was married and together with her new husband bought a house in Jericho and raised a family of 4 boys beginning in 1954. She kept the kids active in Little League Baseball and in School activities. She attended all the games and cheered her sons on. The list is endless of the things she did for everyone, without thinking of herself; she was completely selfless. When she was growing up, she took an interest in music, learning piano at a young age. She encouraged her sons to participate in learning musical instruments which resulted in all having knowledge of playing more than 1 instrument, some playing professionally and now her grandson, also influenced by her, is a concert pianist. For several years, she was a stay-at-home Mother raising her 4 boys. She got involved with charity work, participating in raising funds for the (AHRC) “Association for the Help of Disabled Children”, in the 1960’s, organizing events for their cause. She was also mindful of finding ways to supplement the family income by taking on part time jobs at the board of elections and selling Avon beauty products. When the youngest began attending all day schooling, she decided it was time for her to go back into the workforce full time. Despite working full time though, her priority was her family, always making time in the morning for preparing breakfast and packing lunches for her 4 boys and husband. As well, she prepared dinners, ready in the fridge, with instructions and a loving message to her sons to take from there and put into the oven to be ready just in time for dinner. She had a passion for healthy eating and exercise before it became fashionable, which surely resulted in a long healthy life. In fact, right up to the end, she never required any prescription drugs to sustaining her health. She was an amazing cook, and baker, which came from her upbringing; helping her mother and sister in the kitchen, and from her mother in-law, as her husband had to have things made just the way his mother did. Her sons boasted she was the best cook out of all the moms in the neighborhood. Her sons have taken on her recipes and continue in her tradition. Every Sunday, she would get her kids dressed up, shirt and tie with jackets, to go to church and Sunday school. She made sure all 4 sons graduated Sunday school. She was a devoted church goer, never missing a Sunday to teach Sunday school religion and attend church services. She retired from teaching after over 30 years and influencing thousands of young children and guiding them to the love of Jesus. While working full time, to advance herself she took competitive County exams for a position with the Nassau County Government Employee’s team at the Drug and Alcohol Division. Scoring high on the tests, she was hired, and there she excelled. Aside from earning a great salary, she established a much-respected position; involved in budgeting for the County’s funding of variously needed programs including drug and alcohol departments. After 30 years, she retired, just few years after her husband did, allowing the two to be free to tour the world a little. All the kids were grown and gone by then, so they sold the house, bought a small RV and off they went touring the country, then abroad for a couple of years before finding their final home in the Melville Knolls, Melville, NY. Mom’s life was full and all about family and friends; she was a role model to her family and was loved dearly by all. She spent a lot of time with family, making sure the family enjoyed all holidays and events together. Her grandson George Paul became a very special part of her life. From day 1 he had been a cherished grandson; and she was overjoyed with him for the past 17 years.

Mom leaves behind her sons Stephen (and wife Claudia), Paul (and wife Anna) and Philip, grandson George Paul, granddaughter Alexis, her sister Jenny, and many other nieces and nephews, her deceased husband George, and her son George (recently deceased). She will always be loved and missed by Family and all who knew her. God bless Theodora.