Despina "Dici" Yemelos

Despina ‘Dici’ C. Yemelos was born to John and Phopho Cosmas on August 24, 1946. Raised in Santa Monica, California, educated in Switzerland, and once a resident of London, Louisiana, and Palm Beach, Dici was a woman of this world to be reckoned with. She met her husband, John Constantine Yemelos, on the island of Chios, Greece, and they married in San Francisco on November 15, 1967. For 52 years they were an inseparable pair; going far and wide together. Her oldest childhood friends, Darlene and Marcella, would say Dici was tougher than nails and sharper than a straight-edge razor. And her family members would agree wholeheartedly. But there was so much more to Dici than just her toughness. She could command a room with as much grace as any member of the royal family, and could go toe to toe with the brightest minds on matters of humor and wit. Charismatic and quirky, Dici loved her animals (more than a dozen of them in her lifetime), her scrabble games, her collectible roosters, and relaxing evenings with a glass of her favorite: Pinot Grigio. That goes without saying, her deep sense of sincerity and open honesty might be what people loved most. She listened to those around her with an unflinching confidence. Keeping ironclad secrets was a thing she was known for, and she did it better than anyone. Just one comment or conversation with Dici would leave an indelible impression that her love was full. Enduring and forever loyal, she was loved by the many people who were fortunate enough to meet her during her lifetime. Dici is survived by her husband of 52 years, John Constantine Yemelos, her daughters, Renee Yemelos Lalla and Casie Yemelos Rung, her grandchildren, Olivia Erin Rogers, Isabella Marie Lalla, and Christopher John Rogers, her sisters, Anna Cottrill and Maria Sobol, and her two nieces and nephew. On December 23, 2019 at Lake Lawn Funeral Home in Metairie, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans. Visitation will take place between 11-1 p.m., and the funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. The service will be followed by a reception from 2:15-4:15 p.m.