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Calls outside of office hours? No worries! Our team will respond within 10–15 minutes.
Services
Friends may visit with the family on Wednesday, December 28, 2016 from 2-4 and 7-9 PM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne. The Trisagion Prayers will be held 7:30 PM on Wednesday evening.
A 9:30 AM Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, December 29, 2016 at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 467 Grandview Avenue, Wyckoff. (please meet directly at the church on Thursday morning)
Interment will be in East Ridgelawn Cemetery, Clifton.
Mary Papastrat, age 86, of Wayne, passed peacefully on Monday, December 26, 2016.
She was born and raised in Xirokambi, Greece (a small village near Sparta). After World War II, Greece was in ruins and Mary's Aunt Patricia (Pipitsa) brought her to Woodstock, Ontario, Canada to live with her hoping to give her opportunities that she didn't have in Greece. She worked as a seamstress making about $.12 per piece of clothing she made. She left behind her two sisters, father, and paralyzed mother. Her family had land with orange and olive trees. Her father ran a coffee shop/tavern in Xirokambi which had entertainment like movies in the winter and small bands or one man acts outside during the nice weather. In 1934, her father presented the first movie, without sound, in that part of Greece. After just over a year in Canada, her Aunt Georgia brought her to Brooklyn, NY where she stayed as a visitor for one year. She worked as a seamstress. Her salary was about $.80 per piece. She sent her wages to her family to help support them. She then met a handsome young man named Harry Papastrat at a dance in New York. They fell in love and married twice. The first time they were married in the eyes of the law and the second time they were married on May 24, 1959 at Assumption Hellenic Orthodox Church in Poughkeepsie, New York. They honeymooned in Greece. Mary and Harry considered their church wedding their true anniversary and had a loving and devoted marriage of forty-one years until Harry’s passing in March of 2000.
Mary became a United States citizen in 1962. She recalled that in order to get her citizenship, she had to answer several questions including “Who was President?” She also had to spell and write 5 words such as bread and milk. She was proud to become a US citizen and went to school at night to learn English. She got her driver’s license and worked in the Wayne area at Ohrbachs Department Store at the Willowbrook Mall, Fortunoff’s in Wayne, and finally took a part time job at Macys in the Preakness Mall before retiring in 2012 when she was well into her 80’s.
Mary and Harry were founding parishioners of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Wyckoff. Mary sang in the church choir, taught Sunday School and Greek School, was a member of the Ladies Philoptochos Society, and was always baking Greek specialties for the church’s annual festival.
She will be remembered as a strong, courageous woman who was selfless, altruistic, generous, supportive, sensitive, and quick to smile. The Greek adjective philotimo, from the word philos-friend and timi- honor, perfectly described her as she did things for others without expecting anything in return. She was gracious, hospitable and compassionate. She was a great cook and the special ingredient of love found in her Greek specialties like koulourakia, diples, kourambiethes, stuffed grape leaves, stuffed tomatoes and peppers, and pastitsio will forever be remembered by family and friends. She taught Greek at the Wayne Adult School and on Saturday mornings taught children Greek Culture and dance at the Wayne Enrichment Program. Mary will be remembered for annually knitting fifty to sixty hats for local pediatric cancer patients which she donated to area hospitals such as: St Joseph’s Medical Center, Hackensack Medical Center, The Valley Hospital, and Morristown Memorial Hospital. She enjoyed the many good friends she made while bowling with the Breakfast Club League at 9 AM on Wednesday mornings at T-Bowl in Wayne.
Mary wrote poetry that was published in her hometown paper in Xirokambi, Greece and was an avid reader of biographies and any kind of history as it related to World War II. She enjoyed sewing and made her own drapery and clothing for her children. She loved to travel and was always seeking a new destination to visit. She enjoyed traveling all across the United States with her family and visits to continental Europe, the Caribbean and the Holy Land.
Her three grandchildren called Mary "Yiayia" and "Grammy". She picked them up after school and they spent the afternoon at her home where she would spoil them with mint chocolate chip ice cream and other snacks. Her youngest grandchild, Ryan, will always remember her for her avgolemono (lemon chicken orzo) soup.
Mary was the beloved wife of the late Harry Papastrat (2000); loving mother of Sophia Chmura and husband Walter of Wayne, John Papastrat and wife Ingela of Nutley, NJ and Deanna Papastrat of Wayne; and three dear grandchildren: Michael Chmura, Matthew Chmura, and Ryan Colangelo; she was the loved sister of Voula Antipa of Athens, Greece and Matina Grigoriou also of Athens, Greece..
In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 467 Grandview Avenue, Wyckoff,NJ 07481 or the Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation,(click on blue text to donate) 1004-A Reilly Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94129 would be appreciated.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family on Wednesday, December 28, 2016 from 2-4 and 7-9 PM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne. The Trisagion Prayers will be held 7:30 PM on Wednesday evening.
A 9:30 AM Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, December 29, 2016 at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 467 Grandview Avenue, Wyckoff. (please meet directly at the church on Thursday morning)
Interment will be in East Ridgelawn Cemetery, Clifton.
Services
Friends may visit with the family on Wednesday, December 28, 2016 from 2-4 and 7-9 PM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne. The Trisagion Prayers will be held 7:30 PM on Wednesday evening.
A 9:30 AM Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, December 29, 2016 at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 467 Grandview Avenue, Wyckoff. (please meet directly at the church on Thursday morning)
Interment will be in East Ridgelawn Cemetery, Clifton.
Mary Papastrat, age 86, of Wayne, passed peacefully on Monday, December 26, 2016.
She was born and raised in Xirokambi, Greece (a small village near Sparta). After World War II, Greece was in ruins and Mary's Aunt Patricia (Pipitsa) brought her to Woodstock, Ontario, Canada to live with her hoping to give her opportunities that she didn't have in Greece. She worked as a seamstress making about $.12 per piece of clothing she made. She left behind her two sisters, father, and paralyzed mother. Her family had land with orange and olive trees. Her father ran a coffee shop/tavern in Xirokambi which had entertainment like movies in the winter and small bands or one man acts outside during the nice weather. In 1934, her father presented the first movie, without sound, in that part of Greece. After just over a year in Canada, her Aunt Georgia brought her to Brooklyn, NY where she stayed as a visitor for one year. She worked as a seamstress. Her salary was about $.80 per piece. She sent her wages to her family to help support them. She then met a handsome young man named Harry Papastrat at a dance in New York. They fell in love and married twice. The first time they were married in the eyes of the law and the second time they were married on May 24, 1959 at Assumption Hellenic Orthodox Church in Poughkeepsie, New York. They honeymooned in Greece. Mary and Harry considered their church wedding their true anniversary and had a loving and devoted marriage of forty-one years until Harry’s passing in March of 2000.
Mary became a United States citizen in 1962. She recalled that in order to get her citizenship, she had to answer several questions including “Who was President?” She also had to spell and write 5 words such as bread and milk. She was proud to become a US citizen and went to school at night to learn English. She got her driver’s license and worked in the Wayne area at Ohrbachs Department Store at the Willowbrook Mall, Fortunoff’s in Wayne, and finally took a part time job at Macys in the Preakness Mall before retiring in 2012 when she was well into her 80’s.
Mary and Harry were founding parishioners of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Wyckoff. Mary sang in the church choir, taught Sunday School and Greek School, was a member of the Ladies Philoptochos Society, and was always baking Greek specialties for the church’s annual festival.
She will be remembered as a strong, courageous woman who was selfless, altruistic, generous, supportive, sensitive, and quick to smile. The Greek adjective philotimo, from the word philos-friend and timi- honor, perfectly described her as she did things for others without expecting anything in return. She was gracious, hospitable and compassionate. She was a great cook and the special ingredient of love found in her Greek specialties like koulourakia, diples, kourambiethes, stuffed grape leaves, stuffed tomatoes and peppers, and pastitsio will forever be remembered by family and friends. She taught Greek at the Wayne Adult School and on Saturday mornings taught children Greek Culture and dance at the Wayne Enrichment Program. Mary will be remembered for annually knitting fifty to sixty hats for local pediatric cancer patients which she donated to area hospitals such as: St Joseph’s Medical Center, Hackensack Medical Center, The Valley Hospital, and Morristown Memorial Hospital. She enjoyed the many good friends she made while bowling with the Breakfast Club League at 9 AM on Wednesday mornings at T-Bowl in Wayne.
Mary wrote poetry that was published in her hometown paper in Xirokambi, Greece and was an avid reader of biographies and any kind of history as it related to World War II. She enjoyed sewing and made her own drapery and clothing for her children. She loved to travel and was always seeking a new destination to visit. She enjoyed traveling all across the United States with her family and visits to continental Europe, the Caribbean and the Holy Land.
Her three grandchildren called Mary "Yiayia" and "Grammy". She picked them up after school and they spent the afternoon at her home where she would spoil them with mint chocolate chip ice cream and other snacks. Her youngest grandchild, Ryan, will always remember her for her avgolemono (lemon chicken orzo) soup.
Mary was the beloved wife of the late Harry Papastrat (2000); loving mother of Sophia Chmura and husband Walter of Wayne, John Papastrat and wife Ingela of Nutley, NJ and Deanna Papastrat of Wayne; and three dear grandchildren: Michael Chmura, Matthew Chmura, and Ryan Colangelo; she was the loved sister of Voula Antipa of Athens, Greece and Matina Grigoriou also of Athens, Greece..
In lieu of flowers memorial donations to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 467 Grandview Avenue, Wyckoff,NJ 07481 or the Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation,(click on blue text to donate) 1004-A Reilly Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94129 would be appreciated.
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