Maria Thalia Farmakides

Maria T. Farmakides passed away peacefully on September 16, 2025, at 93 years of age. Born during the height of the Great Depression in Richmond Hill, Queens, New York, Maria was the eldest child of Greek immigrants George Stylianos Kambanis and Elpis (Papadias) Kambanis. Her father, originally from Kato Panagia, immigrated to the United States at age 16, served in World War I, and later became an accomplished jeweler in New York City. Her mother, a schoolteacher from Epiros, Greece, brought a love of learning and tradition that deeply shaped Maria’s values.

Together with her late brother, Aristides Kambanis, Maria was born and raised in Richmond Hill, New York. She spent her formative years in the same modest two-story home —a home that remained a constant throughout her early life. Maria graduated from Richmond Hill High School in June 1945, just weeks after the end of World War II in Europe.

Her lifelong appreciation for fashion and design was both practical and inspired. Maria had an eye for quality and value, and a talent for the hands-on skills of tailoring—mending jeans, fixing zippers, and replacing buttons with quiet precision. Her passion for fashion was nurtured at the Tobe-Coburn School, a private college dedicated to New York’s garment industry. After graduating, she became a buyer for the May Company, now part of Macy’s, where she brought her discerning taste and business acumen to the heart of the fashion world.

In 1964, Maria married John Basil Farmakides at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York City. That same day, they drove to Washington, D.C., where John was stationed near Fort McNair. Together, they built a life rooted in love and faith, raising two sons—Basil John (born 1966) and George Stephen (born 1968)—and eventually settled in McLean, Virginia in the early 1970s.

Maria’s connection to heritage ran deep. A distant ancestor, Princess Elizabeth Valentenio of Venice, was part of her family’s lineage. In 2004, Maria donated an intricately embroidered ladies’ jacket linked to the Princess to a historical society in Epiros, ensuring its preservation for future generations. This act reflected her enduring commitment to honoring legacy and culture.

Maria was a devoted member of the St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and served with the Philoptochos Society of Saint Sophia, including as a past president. Her service was not only organizational but deeply personal: her father had designed the Philoptochos pin worn by its members, a symbol Maria wore with pride and sentiment.

She is survived by her sons, B. John (Angela) Farmakides, and George (Paulette) Farmakides; her grandchildren, Yanni, Anthony, Maria, Stella, and Tom; her nephew Alexander; and her niece Anastasia.

Her legacy is one of elegance, resilience, and devotion—to family, faith, and community. She leaves behind a life woven with grace and purpose, remembered by all who were fortunate to know her.

The viewing service will be held at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 2815 36th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at 1:00 PM, with the funeral service beginning at 2:00 PM. The burial will take place at Arlington National Cemetery November 26, 2025 at 1pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made in Maria’s memory to St Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Washington, DC.

The funeral service will be livestreamed so that her friends and family may pay their respects remotely. The link is here https://www.youtube.com/live/IFi3dUt6cRY?si=-vdoJ3NhjZTURN8r