Theodorea Stratos-Karatsis

Theodora Christopoulos Stratos Karatsis, aged 90, died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, January 24, 2016 in Bradenton, Florida.  Dora was born October 10, 1925 in Charleston, South Carolina.  She was raised in Athens, Greece where she learned fluent Greek, English and French, played the piano and enjoyed dancing ballet.  She graduated from the prestigious French Academy in Athens.

She met and fell in love with Steve Stratos, with whom she shared forty happy years of marriage, three children and three grandchildren.  Dora was a warm and generous person who loved to cook for all around her.  She was talented in sewing, crocheting, and making others feel at ease with her hospitality.  The Stratos home was a frequent gathering place with food, fellowship, love and laughter.  Besides her devotion to her husband and children, she was devoted to her church, St. Stefanos Greek Orthodox, in St. Petersburg.  Her husband Steve was a founding member and first president of St. Stefanos.   She worked along side him, fully engaged in the life and community of the church, serving in various capacities of both the Ladies Philoptochos Society and the Daughters of Penelope.  She also loved the church's head, the Lord Jesus Christ, whom she received as her personal Lord and Savior, trusting Him to fulfill His promise to bring her safely home to His heavenly kingdom.  Dora's last years were challenging; yet despite her increasing limitations, she carried herself with extraordinary poise and grace, not once uttering a complaint.  She was a shining example of a dignified, gracious lady.  She was preceded in death by her husband Steve Milton Stratos and her second husband Dimitris Karatsis.  Dora is survived by three children: Milton Steve Stratos (Lois) of Bradenton, Florida, Constantine Steve Stratos (Renee) of Siesta Key, Florida, and Pamela Stratos Reiman (David) of Winter Park, Florida; three grandchildren: Stephanie Stratos Dellva (Benjamin) of Washington, DC, Anna Theodora Reiman of Dallas, Texas, and Stephen Jack Reiman of Winter Park, Florida.

Visitation and memorial to be held Saturday, January 30, 2016 11:30-1:00 pm at Shannon Funeral Home, 1015 Fourteenth Street West, Bradenton, Florida 34205.  No flowers please.