Edith Cokes Hatzikotelis

She was born to Helen G. Christian Cokes and George Louis Cokes, and raised with love alongside her brothers Johnny, George, and Billy Cokes. Edith lost her parents young, and those early hardships shaped her understanding of life. People who knew her often said she carried a kind of wisdom that came from living through difficulty and choosing to become gentler because of it.

Edith was the wife of George Hatzikotelis, who passed away in 2015. She was the proud mother of her sons George Hatzikotelis and Nicholas (Niko) Hatzikotelis, and the loving grandmother of Gordon and Arthur Hatzikotelis. She shared a close relationship with her daughter‑in‑law Mollie Hatzikotelis, whose steady kindness and support meant a great deal to her and to the family.

Charlottesville was home for Edith. She loved the community and was deeply committed to the Greek Orthodox Church, where she spent countless hours helping, organizing, and caring for others. Over the years she worked in the UVA operating room, at CENTEL, and later helped run an environmental building management service with her husband. But the role she poured the most of herself into was being a mother. She was there for practices, games, field trips, vacations, bake sales, and every part of raising a family.

Edith was fun loving and social, the kind of person who could walk into a room and immediately connect with people. She loved dogs and rescued many over the years. She was always helping someone, whether it was a neighbor, a parishioner, or an elderly friend who needed a hand. She enjoyed Johnny Cash, Elvis, and The Golden Girls, and she was an exceptional cook. Her pastitso, spanakopita, baklava, and kourabiedes were legendary.

In her later years, as memory began to fade, she would sometimes say that people called her “Cookie” because she was “sweet as a cookie.” It was a simple line, but it captured her spirit perfectly.

Edith leaves behind a legacy of kindness, resilience, and love. She will be deeply missed by her family and by all who were fortunate enough to know her.

Family will receive visitors on June 19, 2026, from 1-3 p.m., at Woody Funeral Home, 1771 N. Parham Rd. Richmond VA.