Betty Zakas never married or had children. But the Atlanta woman known popularly as "Aunt Betty" was a mother figure to everyone she knew — family, friends and strangers alike, according to her relatives.
"She never once thought about herself," said nephew Dennis Zakas, of Atlanta. "She basically sacrificed a lot of things, like getting married, to devote her life to her family."
Indeed, Ms. Zakas, who was 74 when she died Monday after a long illness, spent decades taking care of others, particularly her older sister. In the 1940s, a car accident left teenage Tassie Zakas permanently paralyzed. From then until her death in 2000, Ms. Zakas lived with her sister and acted as her primary caregiver.
"She would pick my aunt up, put her in a wheelchair and take her [everywhere]," said Charlie Zakas, another nephew, of Norcross. "They had lots of friends, they took trips, they were in church and political organizations."
Ms. Zakas' family said that "Aunt Betty" was happy to sacrifice for her sister.
"It was not a burden," said niece Tasia Walsh, of Duluth. "It was her pleasure to be able to do that. If she ever was burdened, she never showed it."
Ms. Zakas' funeral is scheduled Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation in Atlanta. The family also plans to hold a memorial service Friday from 5:00-7:00 pm at A.S. Turner & Sons Funeral Home in Decatur.
In addition to helping her sister, Ms. Zakas dedicated time to the rest of her family, as well as many friends.
"She took care of everybody, not just family members," Mrs. Walsh recalled. "People from my generation called her Aunt Betty. She was 'Aunty' Betty to everyone."
As an aunt, Ms. Zakas showered her relatives with gifts and kept in touch with everyone.
"She would call every birthday, every anniversary, every special event," Mrs. Walsh said. "She'd call to find out how my kids I did on a test. You could always count on Aunt Betty to remember everything."
Ms. Zakas was also active in the community, including as a member of the Greek Orthodox Church, a youth basketball coach, head cashier at a Hilton hotel and a chef.
Her cooking was particularly noteworthy, according to her family. She developed a secret recipe for the Greek dish pastitsio. A restaurant sought to buy it, but Mrs. Zakas declined the offer. She also swore her relatives to secrecy.
"Betty didn't have a bunch of monetary value," Charlie Zakas said, "but she was more than that to so many people."
Ms. Zakas is also survived by her brother, Lou Zakas, of Atlanta.
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