Chrysanthi “Hrisa” (Athanasiou) Charalambides, 89, of Worcester peacefully fell asleep in the Lord after a short illness at the Knollwood Nursing Center in Worcester on November 22nd, 2025.
She was born in Calarasi, Romania in 1936, the only child to Konstantin and Anastasia (Banola) Athanasiou, Greek Nationals who lived in Romania. In 1956 with the communist hardship imposed on foreign nationals, the family chose forced emigration back to their homeland of Greece. During the Greek Junta regime of the late sixties, Chrysanthi and her parents fled Greece and arrived in Worcester as Greek refugees. A gifted student, Chrysanthi loved reading and was top of her class growing up. In America, with English as her fourth language. She graduated with an associate’s degree from Worcester City College and pursued a career in Pharmaceutical Science, working as a technician at Astra Zeneca before starting her family.
In 1971, she sponsored Nicholas Charalambides, her high school sweetheart, with whom she fell in love while attending the same Greek boarding school in Bucharest. They had been separated during the emigration and reunited 17 years later. Married at St. Spyridon Cathedral in 1970, she gave birth to her first son Konstantin in 1971 then Alexander in 1974, and purchased a home on Worcester’s west side that same year.
She is survived by her husband of almost 55 years, Nicholas Charalambides; her son, Konstantin & Stephania (Gianulis) Charalambides of Wilmington Delaware; her son, Alexander Charalambides of Worcester; her stepson, John and Noelle Charalambides from Aegina Greece. She adored her 3 grandchildren, Maximos, Athanasios, Anastasia and step grandchild, Sammi.
After starting her family, she remained a devoted daughter, looking after her parents until their final days, while raising children and working full time, transitioning to a career as a bank teller for over twenty years at her beloved Tatnuck Square Branch of Mechanics Bank, with a bright smile for all her customers whom affectionately referred to her as “Chrys.”
A member of both Saint Nicholas Romanian and Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Churches, she maintained a strong & devout faith that she imparted to her children, and remained heavily involved in both church communities.
Inspired by her husband’s passion for community organizing and politics, she became an inexhaustible activist in the community, including an eight-year stint as Worcester’s Election Commissioner, spending countless hours staffing Worcester’s precinct polls, receiving special recognition from City Hall upon her retirement in 1998.
A staunch Regan Republican, she was an active member in many Massachusetts Republican groups, including the Worcester County Republican Club, Worcester Republican City Committee, the Massachusetts Federation of Republican Women and many more. She loved her Lincoln Day Dinners and Labor Day Breakfasts.
She prided herself on being in the know, never missing her daily Worcester T&G, clipping stories to share with family and friends. She loved out-answering her family while watching Jeopardy, staying in touch with friends, traveling, going to political functions, and bragging about getting kisses on the cheek from popular politicos.
Her funeral is Monday, December 1st from O’CONNOR BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME, 592 Park Avenue with a service at 11:00 a.m. in St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 102 Russell Street, Worcester. Burial will follow in Hope Cemetery. Calling hours are Sunday, November 30th from 3:00 until 5:00 p.m. in O’Connor Brothers Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in Chrysanthi’s name to St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 102 Russell Street, Worcester, MA 01609 or to St. Nicholas Romanian Church, 34 Gold Street, Shrewsbury, MA 01545.