Anastasia Diacou Obituary

Anastasia Denise Diacou
Stacy lived a good long life and was adored by all.
Rich in family and friends, Stacy valued relationships and worked to preserve them. On the phone, her smile was in her voice. In person, her enthusiasm and genuine caring shined. Stacy was a social person, which sparked in her youth when her parents, Maria and Dennis, and sister Irene integrated with Chicago's Greek community. This time was a wave of immigration when families relied on each other, and Stacy's foundation of friendship, gratitude and reciprocation grew.
Having Stacy in your life was like having a warm coat. She loved her parea and never missed an opportunity. She walked into the room, and you knew you were going to have a good time. There was a lot of laughter, loud voices Greek style, and definitely some dancing - and Stacy was in the middle of it. But her warmth went beyond the party as she made deep, long-term relationships with people young and old.
Stacy was born and later lived in Chicago's northwest side after her parents came over from Gargaliani, Greece, a small village that held a special place in her heart. Outlasting most of her generation, Stacy lived through six wars, the Depression, the advent of TV, commercial air travel, space exploration, and the internet, 32 Olympic Games, and 15 pan and epidemics.
Stacy and Irene were inseparable until Irene passed in 2003. They lived together and were the dynamic sisters everyone wanted to be around. If there is solace in Stacy's passing, it is that they are reunited again.
After earning her journalism degree from Mundelein College, Stacy served as an editor at Professional Press and Coronet Magazine. With her background and friendship circles, she also wrote "The Grecian Society Whirl" column for Chicago's Greek Press newspaper for 20 fun years. She documented how her colleagues moved through Greek society with perseverance and grace. In 2013, she capped this off by publishing "My Generation of Achievers" that documented Greek-American history in the latter half of the twentieth century. As a tribute to her favorite color, she made the book's cover bright red. After Stacy retired from journalism, she reinvented herself as a successful entrepreneur, operating Travel 333, a travel agency on Chicago's North Michigan Avenue.
Stacy was deeply involved with St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago as a leader, organizer and faithful parishioner. For this and her other work, she received the Medal of Saint Paul, the highest commendation from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Stacy also became known for her sweets and also left behind her delectable recipes for halva, brownies and carrot cake, once proclaimed the 8th wonder of the world.
She leaves behind her family including the Russis, O'Connell, Nikoloulis, Pappas, Heard, Karkazis, Shanley and Diacou families. This circle widens a thousandfold when you include her dear friends.
Stacy concluded just about every conversation by saying "end of story" and took the last wise word. Our lives are better because Stacy was there. May Her Memory Be Eternal!
In lieu of flowers, donations to St Andrew Greek Orthodox Church or Greek American Rehabilitation and Care Center would be appreciated.
Funeral Service will be livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/e-iaPNrGV1E?feature=shared
Arrangements by Memory Eternal Funeral Directors, LTD. 847-375-0095