Presvytera Anna L. Angelis
October 8, 1942 – October 22, 2026
It is with great sadness, yet with steadfast hope in the Resurrection, that the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco conveys the news of the falling asleep in the Lord of Presvytera Anna L. Angelis, beloved wife of the Rev. Father John Angelis, devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, who reposed peacefully at her home in Seattle, Washington, on October 22, 2026, at the age of 84. For more than six decades, Presvytera Anna faithfully served alongside her husband, offering extraordinary hospitality, compassion, and love to the countless people whose lives she touched throughout their ministry.
“Presvytera Anna was a remarkable woman of faith whose generous heart and joyful spirit were gifts to everyone who knew her,” stated His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco. “Even in the face of unimaginable personal sorrow and profound adversity, she remained steadfast in her trust in God, finding strength to care for her family and extend Christ's love to others. Her home was always open, her smile was ever present, and her devotion to Father John, their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild was truly beautiful. She was a mother not only to her own family, but to generations of faithful who were blessed by her kindness and loving presence. May our Lord grant her eternal rest among the righteous, and may her memory be eternal.”
The Funeral Service will be prayed on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., at Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2100 Boyer Avenue East, Seattle, Washington 98112. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be directed to Saint Demetrios Philoptochos or Saint Demetrios Sunday School.
May her memory be eternal!
Obituary for Presvytera Anna Angelis
Presvytera Anna Angelis fell asleep in the Lord on October 22, 2026, at the age of 84, in her home. With her husband, Fr. John Angelis, she served the Church with dedication, wisdom, and true love. She used humor, compassion, hard work, and wonderful stories to connect with every member of the many communities she served. She devoted herself to helping those in need, and she especially sought out those without family, or without homes. She invited them to stay with her family and supported them with love as they rebuilt their lives. She also was a skilled and insightful nurse and a fantastic cook. What gave her the most joy, however, was her family. She was a deeply loving and devoted mother, yiayia, and pro-yiayia.
Presvytera Anna was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1942, to refugee parents from Cappadocia, Turkey. They raised her, and her two older brothers Vasilios and Stephanos, in the Church and taught them the value of service and generosity. Her mother died when she was 15 years old, and her father died the next year, leaving her orphaned at 16. She went to work while finishing high school, helping to support and care for her brothers. Her eldest brother, Vasilios, left the U.S. Army after their parents died and worked to support his siblings. With his help, she attended nursing school at Beth Israel Hospital, now part of Harvard University, and her brother Stephanos attended Holy Cross Seminary.
Her brother introduced her to a young seminarian from Greece, Fr. John. They fell in love and married in 1964 and lived in Greece from 1965-66, where Father John pursued post-graduate studies. They were assigned to a parish in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1966, where they welcomed their three children: Luke, Elizabeth, and Theodore. While in Minnesota, Presvytera Anna began the ministry that would define her and Fr. John’s lives. Despite raising three small children, Presvytera hosted dozens of visitors at her home every Sunday, was active in the Philoptochos, and helped the church rebuild after a devastating fire. She continued her work at each new parish, serving in Sacramento, California from 1975-81, in Fresno, California from 1981-1986, in Chandler, Arizona from 1986-1993, and in Seattle, from 1993-2008. At each parish, she formed lifelong friendships and rejoiced in spending time with parishioners. Her infectious laugh, her hilarious stories, and her deep affection for everyone made her easy to love. She was a Presvytera for everyone, taking care to welcome all with a special focus on those without family and those in dire need.
She and Father John retired from their active ministry in 2008, but they (unsurprisingly) immediately answered the call of duty again. Between 2008 and 2016, they served as temporary Priest and Presvytera in Honolulu, Tacoma, Portland, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Phoenix, at the monastery at St. Nicholas Ranch, and in Pasco, Washington.
Presvytera Anna was especially devoted to her grandchildren. Stephanie was her first grandchild, and Presvytera Anna was proud to have helped raise her and guide her into adulthood after Presvytera Anna’s daughter Elizabeth, and her grandchildren Fischer and Ian died in a fire in 1998. Presvytera Anna also adored her grandchildren Christopher and Nicoletta, born to her son Luke and her daughter-in-law Marcia. She was so grateful to be an active part of their lives as they grew up. She also loved spending time with her grandchildren Katherine and Johnny, born to her son Theo and her daughter-in-law Kim. During her final year, her greatest joy was seeing her great grandson Amitai, the child of Stephanie and her husband Yarden.
Presvytera Anna was a master storyteller until her final days. She loved sharing the details of her humorous adventures, ranging from sneaking pizza to hungry seminarians in her youth when women were barred from campus, to passing her nursing exam despite mistakenly believing it was a practice test and finishing in in 20 minutes so that she could go to the beach, to hiking miles up a mountain in Greece in high heels and in the winter when an earthquake blocked the way to the Church, to arguing with doctors and gently (and sometimes not so gently) correcting them when they overlooked something critical for a patient’s care.
Presvytera Anna was a bright light who saw the goodness in everyone. Even after her stroke in 2021, she found joy in every part of her life. She never let pain or physical setbacks dampen her sunny outlook. She will be deeply missed.
She is survived by her loving husband of 62 years, Fr. John, her sons Luke (Marcia) and Theo (Kim), her grandchildren Stephanie (Yarden), Christopher, Nicoletta, Katherine and Johnny, and her great grandson Amitai. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Athansia Avramides in Greece, her nephew Loukianos (Valerie) Avramides of Virginia (and their daughter), Christina (Dean) Vose of Cranston, Rhode Island (and their children), her nephew Loukianos (Nota) Avramides of Seattle and Greece (and their son), her niece Ephemia (Niko) Karagianni of Greece (and their five children), her cousin Simoni Shirland (and her children Julian and Tanya). She also is survived, on Fr. John’s side, by her niece Dimitra (Dimitri) Kaniamos of Florida, her niece Yula (Jim) of North Carolina, and many other nieces and nephews from Fr. John’s six siblings in Greece.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter Elizabeth, her grandsons Fischer and Ian, her brother Vasilios and sister-in-law Kaite, and her brother Fr. Stephanos.
The Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2100 Boyer Avenue East, Seattle, WA 98112.
Donations, in lieu of flowers, should be made to St. Demetrios Philoptochos or St. Demetrios Sunday School.