Mary Davros

The life of Mary Davros was filled with the love of family, faith, and a heritage proud with tradition. With her beloved John by her side, they together worked hard for the things they believed in and the family they cherished. She was a dedicated and admired educator who touched the lives of many, and in them, her legacy continues. To those she held dear, Mary was devoted in all she did. Deeply missed, lasting memories will be forever cherished in the hearts of those who knew and loved her. From fashion to politics, forces clashed in the 1920s to produce one of the most explosive decades of the century. An age of prohibition, prosperity followed many new advancements, discoveries, and inventions which greatly improved the American way of life. A sense of gaiety filled the air, and the times challenged Americas once conservative nature all while bringing a sense of hope to the nation. It was during this time of change when a young couple from Muskegon, Michigan anticipated the New Year with the arrival of a new child in their lives. On January 6, 1927, George Peliotis, a local barber, and his wife, Fotini (Andrianopoulos) Peliotis welcomed the birth of their baby girl, Mary into their hearts. The third of five children, Mary grew up alongside her brothers, James and Steve, and sisters, Genevieve and Ann. Her mother remained at home as a homemaker until World War II when she went to work in an area factory making bullets. With a strong and proud Greek heritage, her family were members of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church where they remained active and involved. They made their family home in Muskegon on the corner of Fifth and Grand where fond and memorable times were shared. Mary lived a typical childhood, even in the midst of hardships as a result of the Great Depression. She started working at the age of 14 in a small grocery store to help provide for the family. A good student, she attended Muskegon Public Schools and went on to graduate from Muskegon High School. A time of mixed blessings, World War II brought a welcome end to the devastating struggles of the Depression, however, the conflict of war touched ever household, near and far. Much was being done for the war effort on the home front, and in spite of these trying times, Mary was able to continue her education. She attended Muskegon Junior College and soon found part time work as a teacher. There was a shortage of teachers at that time and this allowed her to work while finishing her education. During this time she also worked in her brothers store Stevens Market while he served in the military during WWII. She loved working in the store and all the customers. But as the years past and the store business changed she returned to teaching and eventually got her degree from Western Michigan University. With high aspirations, her parents, who emigrated to the U.S. with many hopes and dreams, were very proud of Mary for all she accomplished. Along with family, Mary remained devoted to her church. It was there in 1950, while attending a church activity, in the very place she came to learn and grow in faith, where she met the young man who came to love and adore her. John Davros was a strapping young man from Greece and who moved to Michigan after the war to be near family in Grand Rapids. Quite smitten from the start, they soon began dating and fell deeply in love. After nearly a two year courtship, Mary and John were blessed in marriage on July 6, 1952. Mary and John based their new life together not only on love, but through their shared faith, heritage, and mutual respect and adoration for one another. They set-up their first home together in an apartment rented from Mary's parents. John went to work at the store with Mary where she helped him learn English. Before long, the happy couple was overjoyed to learn they were expecting their first child, and in 1956 their son, Nickolas was born. They were equally as happy when their second son, William came along in 1958. To raise their growing family, Mary and John built their family home in the Beechwood neighborhood of Muskegon where they remained for the rest of their days together. There were many happy and memorable times shared in their beloved home where they also shared their wonderful ancestry not only with their boys, but later with their grandchildren, as well. Together they stressed the importance of education with their sons and saw to it that they both completed college. Very family oriented, Mary did much with her family. She made a good home for them and was very involved. Always close, they were very active at church together, too. In time, Mary went to work fulltime teaching second grade at Glenside Elementary School. She loved teaching and the students loved her, too. She eventually went on to earn her Masters Degree in teaching from Western Michigan University and also received a Teaching Specialist Degree from the University of Michigan. She was also a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Honor Society. After 30 years of touching the lives of young minds and hearts, she retired in 1990 with the admiration of many. When grandchildren came along, Mary was especially thrilled to give them her love and retirement afforded her the opportunity to spend much time with them. Among their many interests, Mary and John shared a love for travel. In their lifetime they visited over 20 different countries. The trips were usually family affairs with the boys going too. The trips were always educational because Mary wanted to make sure they understood how other people lived and appreciate the life they had in America. John took Mary and their sons to his homeland in Greece, and the place where he grew up in times of great hardship. As always, they remained active at church and were each involved in many capacities. She will be long remembered for her role as a Philoptochos member and Sunday school teacher. When John began experiencing health issues, Mary remained by his side and lovingly cared for him. His death in 2005 was especially difficult for her, but she was strong and continued to live on her own with the help of family and close friends. Mary began growing weak, and it was soon discovered she had cancer. She was taken care of wonderfully by a live-in helper, Kathy Wilks, and the faithfulness of her sons and grandchildren. They visited and helped as often as they could which always brightened Mary's day. At the age of 85, Mary Davros died peacefully on Thursday, February 16, 2012. She leaves a legacy of abiding love for family and service to her church which will continue to warm the hearts of many. In all she did, Mary was dedicated to the things closest to her heart. Deeply missed, she will be lovingly remembered. SURVIVORS: Mary is survived by her sons, Nickolas J. Davros of Muskegon and Dr. William J. (Sally) Davros of Shaker Heights, Ohio; grandchildren, Yanni, Katina, Nickolas II, Kristopher, Arianna, Alexander, and Angelina; her sister, Genevieve Christ of California; and brother, Steve Peliotes. Along with her husband, she was preceded in death by her brother, James and sister, Ann. SERVICE: Saturday, February 18, 2012, 11:00 AM at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church with Rev. Fr. Catalin Mot officiating. Interment at Lakeside Cemetery. VISITATION: Friday, 2-4 & 6-8 PM at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon with a Trisagion Service at 7:30 PM. MEMORIAL: Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church or Hackley Public Library. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to share a memory and photo of Mary and to sign her online guest book.