PORTLAND- Mary Taxiarchis passed away peacefully on April 8th, 2019 at her home in the company of her family after a long battle with chronic illness. She was surrounded by friends and family in her final days.
Mary was born in Lewiston, Maine on April 24th, 1932 to Louis and Georgia Taxiarchis. After her father's passing, she moved to Lynn, Massachusetts where she grew up on her uncle’s turkey farm. Later she moved with her mother to New York City where she attended the Washington Irving Fine and Applied Arts Program. During her time at W.I. she received several awards in academics, art, and design, most significantly an award for dress design from Saks Stores, owners of Saks 5th Avenue. This led to a career in design starting out as a tracer for several New York designers and culminating as Vice President for Style and Design for National Gypsum's Decorative Products Division.
Mary wed Anthony Chourlenis in 1970, a union that spanned 35 years until Tony’s passing in 2005. They had no children but spent many years doting on their nieces and nephews and enjoyed the busy life of NYC as well as traveling to visit friends and family or to attend Tony’s military reunions.
Mary moved to Maine in 1983 to help care for her mother. She continued to pursue her art primarily in needlepoint, knitting and crochet, but also in ceramics and stained glass. She attended both the Portland and Lewiston Greek Orthodox Churches. She dedicated much of her time and resources to helping those in need, both people and animals.
Mary is predeceased by her parents Louis and Georgia, her husband Tony, and her younger brother John. She is survived by her brother Louis Taxiarchis, niece Elizabeth and her husband William York, and nephew Nick and his wife Brenda Taxiarchis all of Buxton, and also by her nephew John Taxiarchis and his family of Wayland, Massachusetts.
Mary's family would like to extend sincere thanks to the staff of Home Instead Senior Care for the loving care they provided to Mary in the final years of her life, and also to the staff at Hospice of Southern Maine for their care in her final days. Services will be held privately.
Online condolence messages can be submitted at the Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service website, www.mainefuneral.com
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Good Shepherd Food Bank at
3121 Hotel Rd, Auburn, Maine 04210 or at www.feedingmaine.org