Helen Demos Papoutsy Passes Away

Portsmouth, NH and Haverhill, MA—Helen Demos Papoutsy, 91, born in Haverhill, Massachusetts on April 30, 1911 to Christos and Margaret Christodoulo Gero Linchy, died on March 17, 2003 at her residence. Mrs. Papoutsy attended Tilton School in Haverhill and graduated from Haverhill High School. She was also a proud graduate of the parochial Greek school program at Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Haverhill. Her parents were born in Asvestohorion, Thessaloniki, Greece and emigrated to the U.S. early in the 1900s.

Mrs. Demos Papoutsy was a member of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, moving to the seacoast area after residing for many years in Manchester, New Hampshire. A former parishioner and choir member of St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Manchester, Mrs. Demos Papoutsy was a devout Orthodox Christian who counted among her most important lifelong experiences being rebaptized in the River Jordan in the Holy Land, and the personal blessings she received in Constantinople from Patriarch Athenagoras.

She had been employed as a sample stitcher for many years at Colonial Shoe Ornament in Haverhill.

She was an accomplished mandolin teacher and musician, working at one time with over 100 students, following successful public performances, including one memorable society ball at Haverhill City Hall.

Among her favorite pastimes, she enjoyed needlework, cooking, and socializing with her family and friends. Baking the finest koulourakia was one of her passions.

She will be remembered by her close friends and loved ones as exemplifying Philhellenism and the spirit of giving. She was multilingual, speaking and writing flawless Greek, among other languages. But she will perhaps be best remembered for her many years of service as a volunteer reading tutor at the Dondero Grammar School in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and as a Greek-language instructor to young friends and grandchildren.

She was predeceased by two siblings, a brother, James Linchy, and a sister, Catherine Eliopoulos. She is survived by two sons, Theodore and Christos Papoutsy, three grandchildren, Andrea, Angela and Mikel Papoutsy, and three great-grandchildren, Mary Gamvas, Austin Lochtefeld, and Lucy Heisey, all of Rye Beach, New Hampshire, and several nieces and nephews, John and Stella Eliopoulos, of Ogunquit, Maine and Haverhill, Massachusetts, James Linchy of Florida, and Judith DeJaco of Kentucky.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to the Funeral Thursday morning at 10 a.m. at the H.L. Farmer & Sons Funeral Home, 106 Summer St. Haverhill, Ma, followed by a Funeral Service at 11 a.m. at the Greek Orthodox Church Of The Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.

Calling hours at the Funeral Home will be Wednesday evening 7-9.

Condolences to her family may be made at farmerfuneralhomes.com

Contributions in her memory may be made to:

Church Of The Holy Apostles
Eleavator Fund
145-156 Winter St.
Haverhill, MA. 01830

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