Christine Marketos-Cuomo's Obituary
During the morning hours on May 3rd, with incense burning in the background, our beloved mother Christine’s soul lifted unto the Lord at the age of 74 as her children sang the "Christ is Risen" (Χριστός Ανέστη) hymn in Greek. Christine was born and raised on Market Street on “the acre” in Lowell, MA to Elias and Vasiliki (Coulouras) Georgeopoulos. As a young girl, many remember Christine chasing butterflies and baton twirling. As Christine grew up she became a graduate of Fisher College, a public servant, an author, a mayoral candidate, and an entrepreneur with an animated spirit who chased her dreams and taught us all that "anything is possible".
Christine earned an Associate in Science Degree in Paralegal Studies in 1995, and then went on to earn a second Associate in Science Degree in Criminal Justice in 2001 from Fisher College in Boston, Massachusetts. She pursued her goal to obtain these degrees to set an example for her children.
Christine’s professional career took her from owning her own travel business to working over 30 years in the US Federal Government. During early parts of her career, Christine owned and operated Atlantic Travel in Pawtucket, RI where she enjoyed helping others develop and plan their travel adventures. Christine sought any position that put her in the face of the public because she thoroughly enjoyed making friends and mingling with everyone. In fact, one of the many gifts that Christine possessed was her ability to strike up a conversation with anyone no matter the venue and oftentimes became friends with that person.
Christine’s career took her to the US Federal Government since she had a passion for helping others in a multifaceted capacity. As a 30-year career government employee, she served our country as a civil servant with many agencies including, Internal Revenue Service, Veterans Affairs, Federal Highway Administration, United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) where she retired in 2008.
Even as a busy working woman raising three children as a single mother, Christine still strived to touch lives by producing/directing her very own public access television program called "Follow The Sun '' for Cox Communications in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and Access Pinellas in Clearwater, Florida. She was an inspirational and motivated Mother who never allowed adversity to impede her primary goal in creating successful children!
In 2006, Christine’s program “Follow the Sun” was recognized by her then-employer, Bureau of ATF and named her as Employee of the Month for her efforts in making a difference with the public community. During a 2006 interview with Lisa Inserra, Public Access Cable Manager of Florida, Christine stated, “If I can save one life, I have made progress.” She was most proud of producing the series, “Project Safe Neighborhoods,” a show featuring a special agent with the Bureau of ATF from Tampa Division. Christine commented, “The focus of the show was an initiative by the federal government to interact with police departments and make our neighborhoods safe. We tried to bring out the positive effect of the project nationwide and here in Florida.”
One most important characteristic of Christine that shined through and made an inspiration to all she encountered was her motivation, her active involvement in the community, the love for her children, and the ability to stop what she was doing and become a listening ear for anyone that needed guidance. Christine was a survivor of domestic violence and part of her community service work that was featured on her show captured the importance of domestic violence awareness. In fact, Christine’s first segment for “Follow the Sun” in Pinellas County featured a domestic violence victim that yielded an outpour of phone calls to her home due to its impact on the community. As Christine stated in the 2006 interview, “I know I may have saved lives because of that show.” Even through the difficult times as a victim herself, Christine never took pity on herself and instead turned her experience into a positive one by teaching her children to become the best version of themselves and to always reach high above the sky. To others, Christine turned her experience into bringing joy to others and letting people know that it is possible to overcome life’s challenges as long as you believe in God and treat others with dignity and honor.
The profound impact on others came from Christine’s upbringing and devotion as a Greek Orthodox Christian, something she valued since the early ages of her life. As a child, Christine was always known to lend a helping hand or develop a choir at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Lowell, MA. It comes to no surprise that her love for Christ and the Virgin Mary, as well as all the Saints, continued throughout her life. Christine devoted her life to the St. George Greek Orthodox Monastery in Clearwater, FL by later pursuing her passion to become a deaconess in January 2020.
Christine is survived by her loving children, George Anthony Sifakis of Alexandria, VA, and his wife Adriana; Peter Dionysios Marketos and his wife Amy of McLean, VA; and Rosemaria Vasiliki Marketos-Ackerman and her husband Leif of Oakton, VA. Christine was a doting and loving grandmother to her seven grandchildren: Alexa, George, Evangelia, Kostantinos, Nikolas, Katerina, and Vasilios. Christine had countless friends, beloved cousins, and relatives across the world.
Christine was a loving sister to her brother Peter of blessings in memory and is preceded in death by her late husband Giusseppe Cuomo, her uncle Archbishop Dionysios, her uncle Arthur Georgeopoulous, her uncle Rev. Anastasios Coulouras, her aunt Helen Ernest Coulouras, her uncle Peter Coulouras, her aunt Helen Peter Coulouras, her uncle Anthony Coulouras, her uncle Charlie Coulouras, her aunt Helen Coulouras, her uncle George Coulouras, her mother Vasiliki (Coulouras) Georgeopoulos, and Elias (Louis) Georgeopoulos.
Christine loved life and all of its wonders including traveling to Jerusalem, spending time with her friends of her group, “Greek Golden Girls,” meeting with her friends of her political groups in Florida, drinking coca-cola with a smile, eating ice-cream, and a favorite past-time of playing the Lottery, having hit the Jackpot in more ways than one! Although there are many to list, we can’t help but remember Christine’s love for Dunkin Donuts, a venue that led to the bridge of many of her friendships and her upcoming soon to be published book, “The Coffee Connection.” The iconic British statesman Winston Churchill, who led the United Kingdom during World War II, famously praised the Greek people in a BBC speech during the first days of the Greco-Italian War, stating “Until now we used to say that the Greeks fight like heroes. Now we shall say: Heroes fight like Greeks.”
From today on, we will say that “Heroes fight like Christine!” May Her Memory Be Eternal! Kalo Paradiso Christina Mas!
A wake will be held in her honor on Monday, May 9 from 2 to 4 pm and 5 to 7 pm at St. George Greek Orthodox Monastery, 112 South Old Coachman Road, Clearwater, Florida 33765. A Greek Orthodox funeral liturgy will be held on Tuesday, May 10 at 10 am at St. George Greek Orthodox Monastery, 112 South Old Coachman Road, Clearwater, Florida followed by burial at the Curlew Hills Memory Garden 1750 Curlew Rd, Palm Harbor, FL 34683 in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to St. George Greek Orthodox Monastery. www.stgeorgemonastery.com A monastery she cherished and devoted her time as a deaconess.
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