Obituary of Irene Telegadis

IRENE TELEGADIS, OUR “YIAYIA” LOVED BY ALL Mrs. Irene Telegadis, née Pelekis, daughter of the late Ermione Pelekis, née Mantzikas, and Fotios Pelekis, was born on July 6, 1921 in New York, NY. She grew up in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. During her childhood she lived for seven years in Nafpaktos, Greece, her parents’ country of birth. She was united in holy matrimony to Peter Telegadis of Staten Island, NY on March 4, 1945 at St. Eleftherios Greek Orthodox Church in New York, NY. The newlyweds lived in Bulls Head near Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church from 1945-1950. She often joked that she became a farmer’s wife as her husband worked for the Exarchos-Skunakis farms on Richmond Avenue. She enjoyed canning her food and raising four children: Georgiana, Sam, Frank and John. Sam and Frank predeceased her in 2005 and 2006. Her husband died on January 12, 1979. Known to all as “Yiayia” (Greek for grandmother) the young family moved to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn where she lived from 1950-1992. Her family members and friends have described Mrs. Telegadis as one of the most kind hearted, selfless and sociable people they have known. Her grandson, Peter del Busto, adds that people found his grandmother to be genuinely entertaining. During his childhood, he remembers his grandmother striking up conversations and making friends wherever she went. He recalled, “When we did something routine, like going to the doctor’s office, she left with everyone knowing her name; she was the celebrity of those moments. Her expression ‘you do good, you get good,’ is very much a defining statement of her life. She believed in investing in people and developed many great relationships through that approach to others. We all love her deeply.” Mrs. Telegadis was an outgoing woman who would win others over with her beautiful smile and sharp wit. She loved Greek music and was always willing to get up and dance. For the past 28 years she lived with her daughter, Georgiana, in Grasmere helping her raise her children, Elena, Ariana and Peter. Her energy, spirit and dynamic personality have touched many people’s lives. She has been an inspiration to her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and many others while exuding so many Greek values, especially, “Philotimo,” the quality of kindness or goodness. Mrs. Telegadis imparted these beautiful values to others. We hope that future generations of her family will aspire to practice the virtues that she demonstrated daily. Mrs. Telegadis died on Staten Island on February 28, 2020. Her beautiful life will be forever celebrated by her surviving children Georgiana Telegadis del Busto and John Telegadis and daughters-in-law, Jamie Boondas Telegadis, Cynthia Riis Telegadis, and Kristine Schmidt Telegadis. She leaves behind 10 grandchildren and their spouses: Elena Irini Stoddard and husband Frederick Stoddard; Ariana Chiaravalloti and husband Michael Chiaravalloti; Tanya Uritsky and husband Dmitry Uritsky; Samantha Irini McMurray and husband John McMurray; Alexis Telegadis, Peter Telegadis, William Telegadis, Peter del Busto, Luke Telegadis and Cole Telegadis. She was the proud great-grandmother of 10 great-grandchildren: Gianna Irini Chiaravalloti, Ethan Andreas Stoddard, Alessandra Eleni Chiaravalloti, Alexander Edward Uritsky, Gabriel Pantelis Stoddard, Sophia Ariadne Chiaravalloti, Evelyn Victoria Uritsky, Melina Joanne Chiaravalloti, Samuel Fotios Stoddard and Zoe Irene McMurray. A viewing will be held on Wednesday, March 4 at Matthew Funeral Home (2508 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY) between 5PM and 9PM and on Thursday, March 5 between 5PM and 9PM. A funeral service is planned for Mrs. Telegadis on Friday, March 6 at Holy Trinity-Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (1641 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island, NY) at 11AM. Interment will be at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Queens, New York. In lieu of flowers, her family requests that donations be made in her memory to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) and/or the Ladies Philoptochos Society of Holy Trinity-Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church of Staten Island. May her memory be eternal.