DEBERRY, Anastasia

Anastasia DeBerry born April 8, 1931 in Kokenia, Greece went with the Lord January 28, 2004. She came to the United States with her mother in 1937 and went to Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, where her father had arrived earlier to establish a small and successful business. Her parents had been expelled from a little village, Palies Fokes near Smyrna, Turkey in the exchange in the 1920's between Greeks in Turkey and Turks in Greece. Anastasia graduated from Phoenixville, PA High School, graduated from the Philadelphia Museum School of Art and while teaching art at grade schools in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where she fulfilled a lifetime affinity for youth. She also attended and received a Masters in Fine Arts from Columbia University Teachers College in New York City. She married her husband Dennis in 1963 who survives her as do her children born in Philadelphia, Irene, Charles "Cary" and John "Yianni". She moved for reason of arthritis with her family to Phoenix in January 1970. Besides art work, she was a successful entrepreneur, real estate agent and small business owner, (Anastasia's Creative Basket Gifts). She was a member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral and had taught Greek school there. She has a brother, James and his family in Arab, AL with nephews, nieces and grand nephews and nieces. She has cousins in the Philadelphia and Wilmington, DE areas. Visitation with a Trisagion Service was held at Messinger Mortuary Chapel, 7601 E. Indian School Rd, Scottsdale, Arizona. Funeral Service was at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 1973 E. Maryland Ave., Phoenix, AZ. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Arthritis Foundation, 777 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85014 or Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Endowment Fund. Published in the Arizona Republic on 2/1/2004.