Mary A. (Miliotis) Patriotis

Beloved Mother, Yiayia, Sister, Wife, Thea and Friend to many, Mary (Miliotis) Patriotis passed away peacefully on May 30, 2020 due to complications related to the corona virus. She was 85 years old. 
Mary was born on November 19th,1934 in Yialousa, a small village on the northeastern tip of Cyprus to Avraam and Iphegenia (Miliotis).

There, she lived alongside her 5 siblings, Effie (Baloglou), Ellie (Papapetrou), Peter, Andy, and Perry until she was in her late teenage years. 

At the age of 19, Mary embarked upon a new chapter in her life, and emigrated from Cyprus with the wife of a close cousin, Demetria (Doula), her godson Tommy and another cousin Nafsika Andreou.  After enduring a month-long ship crossing, she arrived in Hoboken, New Jersey in March of 1953. For the next several years, Mary lived in an apartment in East Orange with her brother Peter, Cousin John and his wife Doula, as well as other family members.  As with most immigrants, the family banded together providing support in order for the rest of the family members to eventually immigrate, and all be reunited in the United States. By the late 1950’s most of Mary’s immediate family had been reunited and settled in New Jersey. Mary met her husband, Vasos Patriotis, and the two were married in 1958. The two had three children, Themistocles (Themo), Ronnie, and Fay in 1960, 1964, and 1967, respectively. 

In 1972, 19 years after arriving in the United States, Mary, along with her family, moved down to Maryland, where they each settled in Odenton to begin their own building of the American Dream. Slowly over the years the extended family followed suit, settling in the Odenton area, as well. As their children continued to grow up in the United States, Mary embarked on another chapter in her life and bought a small carry out in Odenton.  Mary operated C+M, (&+) with the help of her sisters, a and built a successful business which became very popular amongst the many locals.  It was very common for the locals to stop in, converse with Mary and “the sisters” as they were commonly known, while picking up a sub, homemade rice pudding and C&M’s famous iced tea. For 43 years, Mary operated C+M alongside her sisters, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner to everyone with a smile. When she wasn’t working, Mary enjoyed traveling across the world with the company of her sister-in-law and other family members.  Switzerland, India, Australia, and the Caribbean were some of their favorite destinations.

After 43 years of working with her two sisters and serving her community, Mary, Effie, and Ellie all settled into a comfortable retirement. Mary enjoyed her years of retirement with the company of siblings.  Mary and her siblings were inseparable and it was joyful to see them all together once again enjoying peaceful times. Mary’s retirement passions were tending to her plants, visiting her daughter, and spending time with the extended family.  

Mary, or “Miss Mary” as she was known by many, was an extremely loving and kind woman who valued family and God above all else. A proud member of St. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Annapolis, Maryland, Mary enjoyed hosting family gatherings at her home where the entire family could convene frequently reminiscing of the “old days” and good times. Those that knew Mary best know that her door was always open for those who happened to stop by for some homemade olive bread, a cup of Greek coffee, or even just to chat. Mary took extreme pride in the knowledge that her home was a welcoming place full of laughter and happiness for all those who visited, no matter what the occasion.

Mary is survived by her two sons,Themo and Ronnie, her two sisters and confidants Ellie and Effie, her two daughters-in-law, Rosemary and April, her eight grandchildren, Vasili, Elisha, Joshua, Brianna, Isabella, Micah, Alex, and Shirah, and countless other nieces, nephews, friends, and family members who loved her and will miss her dearly. 

Besides her parents, Mary was preceded in death by her three brothers, Peter, Perry and Andy, her husband, Vasos, and her daughter, Fay. 

The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks and gratitude to those who have offered their sympathies and support at this time. The family would also like to extend our deepest thanks to the nurses, orderlies, doctors, and staff at Baltimore Washington Medical Center and Mandrin Inpatient Care Center who treated Mary and kept her comfortable in her final moments. The family would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to her long term care givers, Sonya, Dinora, Elizabeth, Roxanne, and Yanci. 

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the church of St. Constantine and Helen in Annapolis, Maryland. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary A. (Miliotis) Patriotis, please visit our floral store.