Lucy Sarris

                Lucy (Cugini) Sarris Of Watertown, MA, passed away on December 27, 2018 surrounded by her loving family after fighting a long, hard battle with multiple system atrophy (MSA). Beloved mother of Fotoula Kopellas and her husband John, Sofia Sarafoglou and her husband Tony, the late Antonia Pappas and her husband Kary, Christina Zagami and her husband Tony, Peter Sarris and his wife Meropi, George Sarris, Jr. and his wife Julie, and the late Bobby Sarris. Former wife to George Sarris. Precious grandmother to 17 grandchildren; Afroditi and her husband Jacob, Lucianna and her fiance Kerry, Bobby, Billy, Sofia, George, Isabella, Anastasia, Christopher, Athena, Courtney, Gianna, Henry, Antonia, Christos, Katherine and Grace. Loving sister of Luigi Cugini and his wife Geraldine, and predeceased by her five siblings; Angelino Cugini, Donato Cugini, Mario Cugini, Anna Forte, and Guiliano Cugini. Also survived by many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

               Born in San Donato, Italy to Biagio and Flora Cugini, youngest of seven children. They came to the United States in 1958 in search of a better life and found it “in the lake”  in Newton, MA and later moved to Brighton, MA. Before starting her own family, she worked at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Brighton, MA where she worked in the kitchen and washed dishes to make money for her family. She raised her seven children in Brighton, MA. While mastering the task of raising her children, she was the ultimate homemaker; cooking homemade dinners for her large family every night, sewing curtains, and working tirelessly at multiple family businesses. Born in Italy, Lucy spoke Italian until she moved to the U.S. where she also learned to read and write in English. After she married her Greek husband, Lucy spent numerous hours watching Greek television, reading newspapers, and listening to music to teach herself to speak Greek. She learned the language to raise her Greek-Italian family and to ensure that she understood what her Greek family members were saying. Her eloquent mastery of the Greek language led others to believe that she was, in fact, Greek.

               Lucy was dedicated to her unwavering faith in God and loved cooking for her family, sewing, and spending time with her family. When her children had children of their own, “Yiayia Lucy” loved spending her days babysitting her grandchildren and making special memories of cooking homemade pasta, bread, and cookies and going places such as the library and playground. She would drop everything if any of her children or grandchildren needed anything. Nothing gave her more joy than creating precious memories with her children and grandchildren. Lucy always had a love for children which led her to a job as a caretaker for three children that she loved as her own grandchildren. She always told her children that the best years of her life were raising them. She taught her family to never take each other for granted, to appreciate the little things, and to never be materialistic. She told her family to always cherish the moments they had with each other and to always take the time to help others in need. She was a selfless woman that always put her family’s needs above her own. Throughout her lifetime, Lucy’s strong faith in God was tested by the devastating losses she endured including losing her beloved son and daughter. While these losses changed Lucy’s life forever, she was still the strongest, most resilient woman her family has ever known. She lived a rich, full life of service and even as her health declined, she continued to speak pearls of wisdom to her children, grandchildren, and loved ones. She leaves them a rich legacy as the matriarch of a beautiful, close-knit family. Her love of God and her gifts to humanity will never be forgotten. May her memory be eternal.

Funeral Service on Monday, December 31, 2018 at Taxiarchae Greek Orthodox Church, 25 Bigelow Ave., Watertown, MA at 10AM. Please go directly to church. Visiting hours will be held on Sunday, December 30, 2018 at Nardone Funeral Home, 373 Main St., WATERTOWN, MA, from 3PM to 7PM. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to MSA Coalition at multiplesystematrophy.org or 9935 D-Rea Road, @212, Charlotte, NC 28277. Burial in Ridgelawn Cemetery, Watertown, MA.

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