Eystathia Kiskinis

Eystathia Kiskinis was born in during World War II in the beautiful town of Messini, Greece. She often remarked to her children about how hard times were. They would have a pair of shoes and a set of a few clothes for every day wear and one special outfit and a pair of shoes for church and other special events. Growing up in a small town, she was fortunate to have food, as many of the metropolitan cities in Greece suffered from food shortages after the war. Her family had a luscious garden with all kinds of herbs, fruits and vegetables.

Her parents were Sofia and Efthimios Papadopoulos. Her mother had a kind heart with a sweet singing voice and her father was a proper and strict patriarch. She also had four sisters: Katina, Alki, Voula and Efthimia. When she blossomed into her young womanhood she would go to the movie theater with her family and saw her first images of North America. Upon seeing this she had a great desire to leave Greece and experience the glory of America. At the tender age of 17 she set forth to Canada with her sister Voula. Upon arrival, she found that her new life wasn’t what she saw on the silver screen.

She worked at the family restaurant, and one day this gentleman walked in, took notice of her, and asked her older sister Voula to sit with her. His name was Christe Kiskinis. As they sat together in the restaurant, he politely introduced himself, and asked “How do you like it here in Canada?” With an annoyed look on her face, she replied, “I don’t like it here. It’s cold. I wanna go back to Greece.” Christe gently responded, “Well you should give it some time…” Little did she know that this man from Trikala was going to be her life partner. After a few dates, they got married in Canada, and gave birth to their son, Adam Kiskinis. A couple of years later, they gave birth to their daughter Sophia Kiskinis. With her new children, she was full of joy, including the normal anxieties and responsibilities that come with raising children. While they were in Canada, all of their relatives and Greek friends would have amazing parties where they would be in parks or at someone’s home roasting lamb on the spit for Easter and Christmas. For a period of time, Eystathia and the family moved back to Greece, but unfortunately, due to the political instability in the country they found their way back to North America. When they landed in Houston,Texas, Eystathia Kiskinis and her husband started a business with Andrew Ioannides and Tony Shelton named Andros Foreign Foods. This establishment became a pillar for the Mediterranean community in the 1970s and one of the first suppliers of imported goods in Houston. She carried on her family tradition of having a garden in the various houses that she resided in. She always maintained a vast array of colorful flowers, fruits, herbs, and vegetables that she would use in her home cooked meals for her family. She adored being in her garden throughout her lifetime.

Then a surprise came: she had her first grandchild from her daughter Sophie and his name was Chris. Soon after her second grandchild arrived her name was: Autumn Stasie, from her son, Adam. Once again, she entered into another era of child rearing, but this time with a little less responsibility. She lovingly curated the best Christmas, Easter and holiday gatherings for her family and friends, with Greek food that she would prepare from scratch. She maintained a deep love and respect for her motherland and her adopted country the United States of America. She loved to dance and sing. Her favorite Greek dance was the zembekiko. Eystathia loved shopping at department stores as she was a fashionista. She often remarked to her grandchildren that due to the fact that she grew up with very little, her ultimate goal was to provide her children and grandchildren the opportunities that she never had when she was a little girl. She also volunteered countless hours at Saint Basil’s the Great Greek Orthodox Church during the Greek Festival, in the church choir, preparing for religious events, and of course during the famous Spaghetti Thursdays.

After her husband passed in 2012, her life completely shifted. However, she still maintained the same fervor to keep her family together and continued to host her beautiful holiday events. She battled various types of cancer for eight years, bravely and courageously. Her son Adam was with her every step of the way and came out of retirement to take care of her full-time. Her daughter, grandson, granddaughter and niece, Petra, also took part in surrounding her in love and care during her last days.

On September 14, 2024, she peacefully passed away at her home with her son Adam by her side. When her daughter and her grandchildren received the news, they also immediately came to her bedside with love and gratitude for everything she had provided for them in her lifetime. A basic obituary would not do for such a dynamic mother, grandmother and businesswoman. She was a force of nature and will be greatly missed.