Helen Katsounakis

Longmeadow- Helen (Gatsios) Katsounakis, 93, was called safely home on Monday, September 19, 2022 with her loving family by her side. She was born in Paris, France on June 12, 1929, a daughter of the late Olga (Coulountjios) Gatsios of Larissa, Greece, and Peter Gatsios of Greece.

Helen received her education in France. She was in her teens during WWII and was separated from her family and lived in Stuttgart Germany with a family and became best friends with their daughter, Thea (Klement). Helen and Thea would be in bomb shelters as the air raids and bombings came from the Americans and RAF. She told Thea she would marry an American Flyer and she did. Her husband few 51 bombing missions during WWII on B17s. She left Paris after the war and came to the United States where she met her husband. Helen worked for many years at Albert E. Steiger’s in Longmeadow. She Loved traveling and, going to the Symphony and did many trips with Bay Path University. She loved returning to Paris to visit, especially with her children to show them where she grew up.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband of 47 years Theodore N. Katsounakis in 1994. She will be deeply missed by her children, her daughter Thea Elizabeth Katsounakis, her son Michael Theodore Katsounakis and his wife Deborah Aiko of East Longmeadow, her step-granddaughter Victoria “Tori” Hall, several nieces, nephews, Kathi and Bill White, Nicholas and Pam Katsounakis, Lori and Lisa Katsounakis, David Reed, Theodore and Hariklia Koundourakis, Peter and Andrew Gates, and Steven and Jeri Lynn Koundourakis and her sisters in-law Sylvia Katsounakis and Joan Katsounakis Helen was predeceased by her sister Christiane Harrison and her brother James Gates, a brother in-law Manny Katsounakis, and her friend Thea Klement.

Visiting Hours will be held on Thursday, September 22, 2022 from 3pm-6pm at the Forastiere Smith Funeral and Cremation, 220 North Main Street, East Longmeadow, MA 01028. Funeral Services will be held directly at the Church on Friday, September 23, 2022 beginning at 10:30am in the St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 2320 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01107. Burial will follow where she will be laid to rest next to her husband in the Longmeadow Cemetery, Williams Street, Longmeadow, MA. Memorial donations may be made in her memory to the St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral or Endowment Fund, 22 St. George Road, Springfield, MA 01104. For more details and to share condolences please visit www.Forastiere.com.