R.I.P miss Maria Garofalis

This morning my landlady and friend miss Maria Garfolis passed away after a short sickbed.

I met miss Maria for the first time at least 15 years ago when I started to do town walks in Skopelos town. I had the idea to show a Greek orthodox church to visitors and I knew a lady who held keys to the Saint Michael church. She was not immediately overjoyed when I first asked her because she was so protective of “her” church. She had keys so she could light candles, clean when necessary and do anything that the priest needed for the services held there.

Miss Maria never married. She used to work in the family business and when she got older she was asked to tend to the church and that “job” was what her life was about. She also helped a lot of people. I know she cooked for an older bachelor, she helped out many people as much as she could without asking anything in return. Only if it meant she could not help out in the church she would say no.

Almost three years ago she also became my landlady and the blessings to me, my husband, my sister, my children and my clients were an everyday phenomenon. She was glad we were in her life and we were even happier. I will never forget the warm summer evenings I used to work in my office and she and her sister would sit outside and talk to everybody that would pass by. She was not able to speak everybody’s language but she made sure, in her own language, that a sweet word was passed on. She thanked people for visiting Skopelos, she blessed the babies in the strollers and encouraged young people.

The fact that her street was filling up with shops the last couple of years was a great joy to her. She will be missed terribly by all of us.

Miss Maria’s funeral will be held tomorrow in the Saint Michael’s church at 11 o’clock.

Kαλό ταξίδι και καλό παράδεισο Μαρία.