Mary Barthalmus' Obituary
Mary Barthalmus
Mary Barthalmus nee Terzopolos of New Smyrna Beach, FL was born on August 25, 1916 in Athens, Greece to the late Constantine Terzopolos and Sultana Terzopolos nee Linseed. She passed away peacefully on September 21, 2013 in Port Orange, FL at the age of 97 years. Mary immigrated to Pennsylvania as a child with her parents and siblings. She married George Barthalmus in 1936 and they made their home in Hazleton, PA until relocating to New Smyrna Beach, FL in 1975. Mary and George had two children, Katherine (“Kathy”) and George, of whose successful careers in academia she was extremely proud, both having earned PhDs and attained university appointments.
Mary, who was known to friends and family as Mompsie, Yaya, or Great Yaya, had a vibrant spirit. She was intellectually curious and loved to discuss current news, politics, the stock market, economics and any of the books she was currently reading. She kept up with family and events in Greece, and was never reluctant to voice her opinion. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren have fond memories of summers and holidays in Florida with her, and she was loved by all her friends at the Southeaster Condo. She was an active member of the Flower Club in Hazleton, PA and of several Greek clubs, loved shopping trips to New York City, and was known for her hats and sharp sense of style. She worked in the restaurants owned by her husband and loved sharing Greek food with friends and family. She completed many embroidery projects up until her recent illness.
In addition to her aforementioned parents, Mary is preceded in death by her husband George, her son Dr. George T. Barthalmus, her daughter Dr. Katherine B. Pryzwansky, and her three siblings.
She is survived by her son-in-law Dr. Walter Pryzwansky of Chapel Hill, NC; daughter-in-law Marina Barthalmus of Raleigh, NC; grandchildren David Pryzwansky and wife Molly of Raleigh, NC; Scott Pryzwansky and wife Kelly of Greensboro, NC; Nicole Story and husband Stuart of Huntersville, NC; and five great-grandchildren: Theodore Pryzwansky, Lily and Cole Pryzwansky, and Jayden and Luca Story.
The family thanks the staff of Continuing Care Elder Services of New Smyrna Beach and Halifax Health Hospice of Volusia/Flagler in Port Orange for their kind and excellent care. The immediate family will hold a private celebration and remembrance of Mary’s life at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mary’s name to the “Katherine B. Pryzwansky PhD Travel Fund” at the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina, Campus Box 7525, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7525. Or to the George and Marina T. Barthalmus Scholarship Endowment within the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences at North Carolina State University online at harvest.cals.ncsu.edu/advancement/index.cfm?page ID=5361 or by mail to the NC Agricultural Foundation, Inc., NCSU Campus Box 7645, Raleigh, NC 27695.
All arrangements are under the direction of Heritage Funeral & Cremation Service, Port Orange, FL.
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