Vaseleke Jean Kavounis

Vaseleke Jean Kavounis, or Kiki as she was well known, was born in Asheville, North Carolina on June 20, 1927. The second of four children, Kiki grew up on a farm that encompassed over 100 acres at one time. She and her siblings, Maria, Tommy, and Chris, were active on the farm and in the community as well as in the local Greek Orthodox Church. Kiki sang in the church choir, instilling in her a love of music, and it was at a Greek wedding where she met her future husband, Alex Kavounis. Al had recently returned from serving in World War II and was attending the University of South Carolina when the two started dating. Soon after Al and Kiki met, they were inseparable, and they married on June 19, 1949. They lived in the dorms at the University of South Carolina while Al continued his studies in education and hygeine. Soon after, the couple moved to Hillcrest Heights, Maryland, to help Al look after his parents, and their family began to grow with the birth of their first child, Mary Helen. Soon after, Kiki began working at a cosmetics counter at Woodward and Lothrop where she was able to share her keen aesthetic eye with customers. Her second daughter, Alice, and two sons, Aleco and Johnny, were born in the forthcoming years. After the four children were all enrolled in school, Kiki began working for Royal Formal Wear in Iverson Mall in Hillcrest Heights. She enjoyed the opportunity to follow style trends and help women find the perfect dresses for them, and as a talented seamstress, she also performed alterations on the special occasion dresses. The family lived, along with with Al’s mother Marika, in Hillcrest Heights for many years, hosting family gatherings, holidays, and crab feasts. Al and Kiki saw their daughter Alice through a devastating bout with stomach cancer, and after her passing and the passing of her husband Tommy, the couple revisited their roles as parents by moving to Herndon, Virginia and raising Alice’s two children, Cindy and Brian. They attended school conferences, sporting events, and graduations in the following years, seeing Cindy and Brian through not only middle and high school but through successful college careers as well. Once their grandchildren were settled in their adult lives, Al and Kiki moved to an apartment in a retirement community in Manassas Park, Virginia. Together there, they were still quite active socially, attending yearly family reunions, playing bingo, and playing Canasta. They travelled for Greek Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and many other celebrations in between. Kiki Kavounis passed away at age 87 in her home in Manassas Park, Virginia on Sunday, May 31, 2015. She is survived by her loving husband, three children, three siblings, eight grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. Friends and family remember and celebrate the woman who many call the nicest they ever met and who gave more of herself than she ever asked of anyone else. They cherish a down to earth and an impeccably refined Southern woman who never let a person leave her company without a full stomach and a full heart. Viewings are scheduled for Wednesday, June 3 from 7-9pm and Thursday, June 4 from 11:30am-12:30pm at Pierce Funeral Home, 9609 Center Street, Manassas, Virginia 20110. The funeral service will be held on Thursday, June 4 at 12:30pm, also at Pierce Funeral Home. Burial will take place at Quantico National Cemetery at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to help defray the costs of funeral expenses. Interested parties can contact Mary Helen Means, or contact Pierce Funeral Home director Mike Anderson at (703) 257-6028 for more information.

Vaseleke Jean Kavounis

June 20, 1927 - May 31, 2015