In Memory of Bess Stamas
A Long Life Well Lived

Bess Stamas passed away peacefully on October 4, 2024 at her Blakehurst residence in Towson, Maryland, where in February she celebrated her 100th birthday, surrounded by many family and close friends.

Bess was born Bess Arbes, named after one of her aunts, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on February 16, 1924. She was the second of five children of Peter Arbes ("Advanitis") and Annitsa Andrianos. Peter immigrated to the USA from Sparta Greece in 1897, and Annitsa in 1920 from the nearby village Amikles, both Sparta and Amikles resting in the shadow of the great holy mountain, Taygetos.

Young Bess and her siblings, Steve, John, Andrew, and Cynthia, enjoyed many summer holidays at the Jersey shore and many after school hours working at their father's candy store, the Sweet Shop. Their home for many decades, 54 Pershing Avenue in Elizabeth, became known to the family's future generation as "Headquarters". At "Headquarters", while Greek customs were celebrated and honored with great enthusiasm, Yiayia Arbes right away imposed strict rules on her children to love America, its values, and its melting pot, and insisted that English be the spoken language at home. Papou and Yiayia Arbes also prioritized education for their children, a tradition that for Bess and her future husband Paul became a defining aspect of their future family life, as well as the family lives of their children and grandchildren.

As with many ethnic groups new to our shores, immigrants to the USA in the late 1800s and early 1900s who were from the region of Sparta stayed in close touch, and this resulted in Bess being introduced in 1948 to a Baltimore native, Paul Stamatacos (name changed in 1950 to "Stamas"), a World War II G.I. combat veteran. Paul's father, George, was born in Krokees, a town close to Sparta and also in Taygetos's shadow. Like his father before him who first came to the USA in 1876 (a very early immigrant from the Mani region near Sparta and who returned to Krokees a few years later), Papou George made the great venture to America, in 1895. Paul's mother Sylvia (nee "Demas" ) was also born in Amikles, and was a childhood best village friend of Bess's mom Annitsa before they both immigrated to the USA.

With the closeness of these families (which extends to today), it was natural that before long Bess and Paul's courtship resulted in marriage, in 1949. As newlyweds, they moved to Baltimore and raised their family of George, Peter, and Annitsa.

Bess quickly adapted to her new Baltimore environment. She became a member of the Ladies Tea Guild in 1955, joined there by Ceres Chris and her other best friends at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation. She also spent many decades working the church bazaars, including starting the Quilt A Thon (an idea from her sister Cynthia), for the NICU unit babies at local hospitals, an effort that now delivers over 200 quilts annually. Bess also created the "evzone bears" with her close friend Corrina Courpas for the church's 100th anniversary fundraising. In 2018 Bess was awarded the National Agape Award from the Greek American ladies' Philoptochos Society.

With extended family in mind, Bess and Paul also helped inaugurate what became a great tradition, the Mount Taygetos Family Golf Classic, bringing together annually the Stamas', Arbes', Ladas', Searles', Demas', Poulos' Morekas', Pournaras', and Pappas' clans for fierce (but hardly Olympian) golf competition and endless fun and storytelling. But first and foremost for Bess and Paul was their determination that their children have a better life and always stay together through life's challenges and triumphs. Through all of that, Bess loved to laugh, dance, and sing albeit off key to Sinatra songs while always exhibiitng great style and class. As one of her nephews summed up for all of us, "Aunt Bess had a fabulous run, was both a real pistol and a very cool special lady. We will never forget her family devotion. We loved her and she loved us. Enough said."

Bess is survived by her son George P. Stamas and his wife Georgia, Peter Stamas and his wife Janet, and her daughter Annitsa and her husband Bruce Searles, all of them maintaining homes within 10 minutes of the homes of Bess and Paul that they were born in. Bess is also survived by her seven grandchildren she was enormously proud of, Paul Stamas, Stephanie Stamas Goulakos, Greg Stamas, Christopher Searles, Valarie Searles, Elizabeth Stamas, and Louisa Stamas, and her six great-grandchildren, Katherine, Georgia, George, Christopher ("CJ"), Madeleine, and Chloe. They all loved their Yiayia and know she is in a good place with our Lord and Papou Paul. Bess is also survived by her beloved sister, Cynthia Ladas, brother Andrew Arbes, and sister-in-law, Sophia, her godchildren (Stephen Ladas, Andrew Chris, Lynn Constantine, Diane Morekas, and Danny Poulos), and her many nieces and nephews (George N. Stamas, Valerie Stamas, George J.Stamas, Vicky Stamas, Peter T. Arbes, Spiro Arbes, Elayna Pappas, Peter E. Ladas, Stephen E. Ladas, Peter A. Arbes, and Annitsa Philliou).

"To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die."

Eternal be Bess' memory.

George, Peter and Annitsa
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VISITATION

Thursday, October 10, 2024
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc.
1050 York Road
Towson, MD 21204
(410) 823-1700

Friday, October 11, 2024
10:00 – 10:30 AM
Chapel of the Holy Resurrection at the Greek Orthodox Cemetery
5917 Windsor Mill Road
Woodlawn, MD 21207

FUNERAL SERVICE

Friday, October 11, 2024
10:30 AM
Chapel of the Holy Resurrection at the Greek Orthodox Cemetery
5917 Windsor Mill Road
Woodlawn, MD 21207

Interment Greek Orthodox Cemetery

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in her name to:
The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation
24 W. Preston Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 727-1831
https://annunciationbaltimore.org