Obituary of Irene Nicolaou

Born on September 1, 1947, Irene passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on December 23, 2019 in Vancouver at the age of 72. Words cannot fully express the utmost love that Irene had for her family and friends. She was respected and loved by everyone, and she will be fondly remembered for her angelic smile that often lit up a room with happiness by those that knew her. Her passion for dance and music will never be forgotten, including her love for the ballet. Irene will be greatly missed, but her memory will always be with us. Irene was born in Greece to George and Hariklia Liakakos. In 1955, she immigrated to Vancouver and was raised in Kitsilano where she attended General Gordon Elementary and graduated from Kitsilano High School. Highlights of her career included working as a Greek interpreter for the Canadian Government, as well as an Executive Secretary at MacMillan Bloedel. Irene was preceded in death by her husband, Nikitas, whom she married in 1969. She is survived by her daughter Paulette, sons Costa and George, and her grandchildren Nicholas, Sophia, Alexandros, Irene and Zoe. Irene is also survived by her mother, Hariklia, her brothers Paul, John and Dimitri, as well as many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. She was an active member of her community and church, which included volunteering her time with the Daughters of Penelope, the Philoptochos Society of St. George Cathedral, the Pan-Laconian Federation of US and Canada, the Lacons Association of BC, and singing in the church choir. The family would like to express their deepest and heartfelt gratitude to the nurses and care aids at Haro Park Centre that provided the utmost care, assistance and love to Irene. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Irene’s memory to the Alzheimer Society of Canada. See more at https://alzheimer.ca/en/bc Prayer services will be held on Thursday, January 2, 2020 at 7:00pm at Garden Hill Funeral Home, 11765 224th Street, Maple Ridge. Funeral Services will take place on Friday, January 3rd, 2020 at 10:30am at St. George's Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 4500 Arbutus Street, Vancouver. Interment to follow at Forest Lawn Cemetery. “A loving mother, so gentle and kind, what a wonderful memory she leaves behind.”