Georgian by birth and Greek by descent, Simena "Mimi" Skandalakis embraced both identities throughout her life.
She grew up in Marietta, spoke with a southern accent and loved University of Georgia football. But the first-generation American also dedicated her later years to advancing Greek causes.
Mrs. Skandalakis died Saturday of natural causes. She was 85. Her funeral, arranged by H.M. Patterson & Son, will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation.
Simena Cutis was born in 1927 to Greek immigrants and was raised in Marietta. After graduating from Marietta High School in 1944, she attended Mercer University.
In 1950, she married Dr. John Skandalakis, a Greek native. While Dr. Skandalakis, who died in 2009, worked long hours at Emory University Hospital, Mrs. Skandalakis raised their three children.
"She was always there for us every day, raising us," recalled her son, Mitch Skandalakis, former chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. "She was basically acting as a single mom."
Her daughter, Vickie Skandalakis Scaljon, said, "She was a short person, but very powerful. Whether she was disciplining us or talking to a group of people ... she was very powerful."
When her children grew up and left home, she used that power to advance her lifelong interest in Greek causes. She was a devoted follower of the Greek Orthodox Church and a member of the National Philoptochos Society, a philanthropic group supporting the church's faith and traditions. In 1994, the Archbishop appointed her Philoptochos Society president.
As leader of Philoptochos, she spearheaded various activities: rebuilding the group's finances, assisting Greeks who came to the U.S. seeking medical care, educating the community on the problem of spousal abuse in Greek households, hosting a regular children's medical fund luncheon and raising the prominence of the Greek church.
"She worked to put the church on equal footing with other denominations," Mrs. Scaljon said. "She and my father worked very closely with the archbishop to do that."
Such efforts led to the construction of Atlanta's Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Annunciation.
Even after her retirement in 1999, she maintained her concern for Greece, looking for ways to help those affected by its recent economic crisis.
Still, she was just as much a Georgian as a Greek. A UGA fan, she once wrote a children's book titled "The Little Bulldog."
"She lived a remarkable life," Mr. Skandalakis said. "She led a charmed life. All of that comes with hard work."
In addition to her son and daughter, Mrs. Skandalakis is survived by another son, Lee Skandalakis of Atlanta; brother, Nick Cutis, of Athens, Greece; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
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