Obituary of Maria B. Karkanias

Maria B. Karkanias passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 at the age of 85. Born in Samos, Greece, she immigrated to the United States in 1960 initially living in Detroit Michigan where she married her husband Basil. She moved to NJ in 1962 living in Newark and Irvington before moving to Ridgewood in 2007. Maria’s husband, Basil, passed away at an early age in 1983. Left to raise their three boys on her own she was a security guard until retirement with the Irvington Board of Education; a job she cherished where she protected and loved all the schoolchildren. She was also a talented seamstress often taking no money for her work. She always enjoyed helping others especially feeding those in need such as poor schoolchildren and adults. Maria was a member of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Wyckoff. A kind and gentle mother Maria is survived by her three loving sons: Jim Karkanias, his wife Cherolyn; George Karkanias; Nikolas B. Karkanias, his wife Harriet; six grandchildren: Alena, Grace, Barbara, Elisabeth, Loukas and Lazarus. Maria is predeceased by her brother Kostas Hatjigeorgiou. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 4, 2018 from 4 – 8 p.m. at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, (vpfh.com), 257 Godwin Ave., Wyckoff. Maria's funeral service will be held on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 467 Grandview Ave., Wyckoff. Interment will follow at Hollywood Memorial Park in Union.