Thelma (Stamas) Nonis

Mrs. Thelma (Stamas) Nonis, of Waltham, formerly of Watertown and Cambridge, died Thursday, September 12, 2019 in Newton-Wellesley Hospital. She was 98.

Thelma was born on June 22, 1921 in Cambridge, the daughter of immigrants Nicholas P. and Nicoletta (Kokinakas) Stamas. Raised in Cambridge, she graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin and the Burdett Business School. With an eye for detail, she worked as a small arms inspector for the government during WWII.

On April 28, 1946 she married Socrates Nonis in Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Central Square in Cambridge. There they raised four daughters in a spacious three family home where she enjoyed entertaining friends and family. She was good-natured, patient, and kind to all who knew her.

Thelma was born with a great eye for decorating, design, and detail that made an inviting home. She and her sister Anne enjoyed many days of antique shopping and acquiring collections. Being a homemaker was her career as she undertook a full time job as wife, mother, and manager of her home. She was an excellent cook and baker and enjoyed making many of the traditional Greek foods and desserts. Speaking fluent Greek offered her the opportunity to work as an ESL tutor for the Cambridge Public Schools.

Reading became a big part of her life early on as she and her siblings sat around the coal-burning oven to read books together. It was no surprise that later on in life she became a librarian at the Harvard Widener Library surrounded by her love of books.

After the death of her husband, she moved to Watertown and later made her home in Waltham. She will be remembered as a woman of integrity, humility, and strength of character. She was patient and kind. She lived her life with hope and optimism and unconditional love for her family.

In addition to her husband Socrates, she was preceded by her daughter Nicolette and her seven siblings, Christopher, Mary, Peter, Philip, Anne and Louis Stamas, and Evelyn Kananovich.

She leaves her daughters Barbara Jais of Watertown, Evelyn A. Panos of Waltham and Anne Nonis of Stoneham; her grandson Brenton Panos and many nieces and nephews.

Family and friends will remember her life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Route 20), Waltham, on Tuesday, September 17th from 6 to 8 p.m. and again at 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning before leaving in procession to Taxiarchae Greek Orthodox Church, 25 Bigelow Avenue, Watertown at 10 a.m. Burial will follow in Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge.

Memorials in her name may be made to The Alzheimers Association, 309 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham, MA 02452.