Anastasia Pinou

Anastasia Pinou, age 92, passed away on July 16, 2016 after a brief convalescent stay following a stroke. Stacey, or Tess, as she was more commonly known, grew up in Sayville, Long Island, NY, where her home near the beach was the weekend gathering place for all of her extended family in New York City. She had the fondest memories of those times. She was an avid reader, great athlete, and an accomplished pianist through her school years, graduating valedictorian of her high school class. She sacrificed a full scholarship to Brown University, having just lost her beloved father, Constantine Davantzis, and because it was a time of war. Stacey moved to New York City with her mother, Pauline, and became the bookkeeper for her uncle’s fur business. She married Harry Pinou in 1954, and when her daughter and twin boys arrived, the family moved to New Jersey, initially to Fort Lee and ultimately to Paramus. Stacey became Head Bookkeeper for Northern Valley Regional High School district. In her working world she always described herself as having “an iron fist in a velvet glove.” Stacey retired in 1990 and moved to Connecticut with Harry in 1994 to help her daughter Anne care for her own twins. Unfortunately, Harry passed away that same year. Stacey got through this difficult time by becoming an active member of and volunteer for her church, Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Hartford, making new friends and remaining involved for many years.

In her later years, Stacey’s children and grandchildren remained the lights of her life. She will best be remembered for her abiding love of family, great sense of humor, hearty laugh, phenomenal Greek cooking, hours spent in Paramus shopping malls, and the tremendous fortitude that carried her through the vicissitudes of her life. Stacey was predeceased by her husband Harry and her two brothers, James and Jerry Davantzis. She is survived by her three children and their spouses: Dr. Anne Pinou and Tom Zolad, Lee and Marcella Pinou, Dean Pinou and Carmen Fernandez, and six grandchildren: Nicole and Alexander Zolad, Laura and Arianna Pinou, and Ross and Claudia Pinou. A special thank you to Barbara Silva, whose remarkable patience and vigilant care brought quality to Stacey’s final year.

Funeral service will be Friday, July 22nd at 10:30 a.m., at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 433 Fairfield Avenue, Hartford. Burial will be in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford. Calling hours are Thursday, July 21st, from 5-8 p.m. with a Trisagion Service at 7 p.m. at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield. Memorial donations may be made to St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Hartford Hospital, or Jefferson House in Newington. To share a memory of Stacey with her family, please visit www.desopo.com.