Private funeral services were held Thursday January 14 at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church for Aspasia Mayorga, 95, who passed away on Sunday, January 10.
She was born October 19, 1925 to parents Gus and Kiriakitsa Gerakatis Chengelis.
Aspasia, formally of Coitsville resided at Ironwood Assisted Living for the last three and a half years. Aspasia is named after her grandmother. “Aspasia” is of Greek origin and means “welcome,invite,embrace “ . A fitting name as she embraced all she met with her friendly personality, charm and wit.
Aspasia was always known as “Bessie “ never knowing where that name came from. She grew up on the south side of Youngstown on Marion Ave. She graduated from South High school in 1944. Bessie started her working career on a variety of jobs. She was a crane hooker for Republic Steel,a riveter at McKenzie Muffler. She was also employed by Petrakos Grill, Parks Sweet Shop, Sweetland Confectionery and the Gorant Candy Company. Bessie and her husband Eddie also operated Smileys Tavern from 1962 to 1974.
She took great pride in her flowers and canned grape jelly from her own grape vines, giving it to her friends and family. She mowed her three acres of grass until her early nineties.
Bessie was preceded in death by the love of her life her husband Eddie who passed away on August 11, 2014 after sixty seven years of marriage. She was the last of her siblings, Philip, Sophie, twin sister Helen and John and twin great granddaughters Elizabeth and Dianna who died shortly after birth.
Bessie will greatly be missed by her three children, Fred (Cindy) Mayorga of Canfield; Linda (Terry) Davids of Tempe AZ.; and Edward (Kathleen) Mayorga of Wilmington NC. She also leaves six grandchildren, Brian Mayorga of North Lima; Jennifer (Michael) Nicholson of Salem; Aspasia (Sia) Mayorga of Wilmington NC; Stephanie (Danny) Barrus of Florida; Maria (Andrew) Pallotta of Nashville TN; and Mark Mayorga of Raleigh NC. Eleven great grandchildren, Taylor, Alex and Lauren Mayorga, Michael, Ryan and Ellie Nicholson, Christian and Owen Barrus, Sayed, Gabriel and Zoe Mayorga.
Memorial contributions in Bessie’s name may be made to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 220 N. Walnut St. Youngstown, Ohio or Hospice of the Valley.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Aspasia Mayorga, please visit our floral store.