Christine (Panagiotopoulos) Bakos of Winthrop, MA passed away peacefully at home on July 5, 2022 surrounded by members of her family. Born in Lowell, to the late Vasilios and Caliroe (Sofronas) Panagiotopoulos, she recently celebrated her 94th birthday and was grateful to God for granting her such a blessed life, the majority of which she shared with her late husband of 54 years, Charles J. Bakos, in Winthrop, MA.
Christine was the devoted mother of Anna Bakos of Winthrop, Fr Iakovos (William) of the Holy Monastery of Simonos Petras, Mount Athos, Greece and Stephanie Keimig and her husband Michael of Rutland, MA. As the adored grandmother of Stephen and William Keimig, her energy would shine forth whenever she was with them.
Christine had 7 siblings and is survived by her dear sister, Ann Rizos and her husband Chris of Andover, MA. Her belated siblings are Steven Panos, Elaine Tsapatsaris, Bertha Lambrukos, Constance Muldrow, Ethel Thomas, and Maria Polychronopoulos. Christine is also survived by two of her husband’s 4 siblings, Louis Bakos and his wife Pauline of Bedford, NH and Sophie Fay of Everett, MA. Her husband’s belated siblings are Mary ‘May’ Bakos and George Bakos. She loved all her cousins very much and was a cherished aunt to many beloved nieces, nephews and their families.
After her son entered the Monastery of Simonos Petras, she and her husband made numerous trips to Greece. While her husband would visit the monastery, she would visit with the nuns of Ormylia, a dependency of Simonopetra and one of the largest Orthodox Convents in the world. She always cherished the moments spent with the Spiritual Fathers (past and present) of the monastic community, as well as with the nuns and Abbess of the Convent.
Christine worked as a teller, accountant and book keeper. Her work experience included the Boston Federal Reserve, Winthrop Savings Bank, and Eastern Airlines. She was a member of the Winthrop High School Band Parents Association, which she served for two years as its Treasurer. She was also a board member of the Ladies Society of the Greek Orthodox Boston Cathedral and of the Hellenic Women’s Benevolent Association in Canton, MA. Christine was a dedicated volunteer (along with her husband) at the Hellenic Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center in Canton. She and her husband especially enjoyed attending the church services in the chapel of that facility and assisting the elderly to also attend.
Christine was very proud of her Greek values and traditions. She loved to cook, bake, knit, and truly excelled in all of those arts! Wanting to be well informed about everything, she was an avid news watcher, and she could be very vocal about her beliefs. Family was very important to her and she enjoyed summer vacations and visits to Maryland, Virginia, New Hampshire and Florida. Because of that, family reunions were always special and we will remain one big family, no matter where we may be. That is the legacy that she has handed down to us, for which we are grateful.
A visiting hour will be held in the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral of New England, 514 Parker Street, Roxbury, MA, on Tuesday, July 12, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. followed by a Funeral Service beginning at 11:00 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited. Interment will follow in Winthrop Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Holy Monastery, Simonos Petras, Mt. Athos Greece. Due to international banking, please make the checks out to Anna Bakos with Simonos Petras Monastery in the subject line.