Laura F Stremanos

Laura (Farley) Stremanos passed away peacefully on June 17, 2025, after a lifetime of caring for others; if you knew Laura, it’s likely that at some point she took care of you or someone you love. Born on August 28, 1939, to R.W. and Gladys (Stranahan) Farley, Laura was the middle of three sisters who were known collectively as the Farley Girls. Growing up in Linesville, Pennsylvania, Laura enjoyed hanging out at the beach at Pymatuning Lake, having malts at the counter of Isaly’s, and driving to Hank’s in Meadville for frozen custard. (Years later, her husband would joke that no matter where they were driving, Laura would insist that Hank’s was on the way!)

After high school, Laura began her life of caregiving when she enrolled at Youngstown School of Nursing, where she excelled as a student — at the end of her first year, she won a $250 academic award that she used to buy her first pair of contact lenses. After graduation, she worked at Fairview Hospital in Cleveland. Not surprisingly, Laura was known for her extraordinary bedside manner. Outside the hospital, she lived with two roommates, Mitzi and Maureen. Mitzi was dating a young man, and on a whim they decided to set Laura up on a blind date with the man’s cousin, Jim Stremanos, just before Christmas 1962, and that was the beginning of Jim and Laura’s love story. They were an official couple by New Year’s Eve.

They were married July 10, 1965, at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Cleveland. Laura was one of the first non-Greeks to marry into the Stremanos Family. Her daughter would later joke that the movie, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” was actually a documentary. But Laura jumped right in, learning all the Greek traditions and recipes. In 1968, they welcomed their first child, AnnMarie, and Laura found the perfect outlet for her caring and nurturing nature, so she stepped away from nursing to care for her children full-time. Tony was born in 1972, and Dan came along in 1975. While many kids in the 1970s and 1980s were latchkey kids, Laura was always home with her children, and their house was always open to any friends and neighbors who wanted to stop by. Laura often even picked up neighbor kids from school when they were sick, bringing them to the house to care for them until their parents got off work.

Laura was a familiar face at all the various schools the kids attended, chairing the parent volunteer committees and coordinating the annual food drive at the holidays. Eventually she stepped back into work life, becoming the assistant school nurse at Worthington Estates Elementary School (the “band-aid lady,” as she called it) where she cared for children who were sick or injured. A few years later, she found herself as an aide in Cathy Littlefield’s special education classroom at Upper Arlington High School, and it was the perfect match. Laura adored working with the kids and their range of needs, teaching them everything from grooming and personal hygiene to math and job skills. She was also a mainstay at all of their Special Olympics competitions, and even went camping and to Prom with them. It was at this same time that Laura started volunteering at Kobacker House hospice, supporting patients at their end of life. It is hard to put into words just how passionate she was about the work she did at both Upper Arlington and Kobacker House.

In 1998, a third son entered her family when AnnMarie married Jeff McCallister. A few years later, the only thing that could make Laura leave the kids at UA came along: her grandchildren. She embraced the title of Granny Nanny, caring for Wes and Ana when their parents were working. The kids understood from an early age that the rules were different at Nonny’s! They delighted when she made homemade “Grandma Pancakes” and “Canapes” (open-faced grilled cheese that she cut into fancy shapes). As they got older, Laura and Jim never missed a game, concert, or awards ceremony for the grandkids. They were the most dedicated Band Grandparents around, enduring marching band competitions in all weather conditions. Laura especially delighted that Wes followed in the steps of his Great-grandfather Farley, going into civil engineering, and Ana became a talented flute player, the same instrument Laura played in high school.

The last few years of her life, Laura lived at Westerwood Senior Living, where, true to her nature, she dove into all forms of volunteering, including running the annual garage sale that benefitted the Westerwood staff. Her first year living there, she was awarded the “Resident of the Year” award at a banquet dinner. She was adored by staff and residents alike and will be greatly missed.

Laura was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband, James T. Stremanos; the elder Farley Girl, Evelyn Carter. She is survived by her children, AnnMarie and Jeff McCallister (Worthington), Tony Stremanos (Boulder, Colorado), and Dan Stremanos (Grandview Heights); grandchildren Wes and Ana McCallister (Worthington); the youngest Farley Girl, Alice (Hal) Beavers (Waterford, Pennsylvania); and loving nieces and nephews, friends and neighbors.

In lieu of flowers, please consider using the links below to donate to a cause close to Laura’s heart: Worthington Resource Pantry or the McConnell Arts Center.

A visitation for Laura will be held Friday, July 11, 2025 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Schoedinger Worthington, 6699 N High Street, Worthington, OH 43085. A visitation will occur Saturday, July 12, 2025 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, 6699 N High Street, Worthington, OH 43085. A memorial service will occur Saturday, July 12, 2025 from 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM, 6699 N High Street, Worthington, OH 43085. A reception will occur Saturday, July 12, 2025 from 3:30 PM to 4:00 PM, 6699 N High Street, Worthington, OH 43085.