Catherine (Vaggelakos) Miglis

Catherine (Vaggelakos) Miglis, 92, entered eternal life everlasting during the early morning hours on Sunday, December 16, 2018, in the company of those to whom the family trusted her round the clock care and comfort. Cathy (or Canelitsa) was born on July 13, 1926 and grew up in Brooklyn, New York, which she always referred to as "God's Country". 

As a child, she worked at home after school for the feather industry, sewing pieces of feathers and furs together, to help the family make ends meet. She completed her technical studies at Girls' Commercial High School, with dreams to become a costume designer and fashion designer. She spent her young adulthood working as a restoration artist and in her free time as a single woman, she gallivanted around New York City's Washington Heights and SoHo, enjoying the company of other artist-friends and painting with oils. While she didn't realize her dream of a college education, she was enormously proud of her daughters' higher education, degrees and accomplishments. Her next greatest source of pride was being an American.

She met her husband George S. Miglis through mutual friends. Their courtship was very brief, enduring immigration laws, hurdles and a long-distance romance. Yet, they were married for over 50 years and had two daughters, Micheline Georgia and Kalli Nicole. The family moved westward from Queens, New York to Camarillo, California in 1976 to "seek their fortune" and Cathy's days were busy helping her husband establish themselves in the local restaurant businesses in Oxnard and the San Fernando Valley. Between the restaurants and their involvement in nurturing the Greek Orthodox community of Ventura County, Cathy made time to prepare hand rolled phyllo for her hand-made spanakopita, Thanksgiving keema stuffing, kourambiedes, making folk dancing and Halloween costumes for her daughters, crunchy soup for her niece Vee Vee, and retelling stories and memories of good times with her wonderful friends Katie and Kreon Korologos, Norma and Frank DiLiegro, Penny and Tom and the Meltzer family.

Over the years Cathy painted less and less but never lost her passion for the visual and performing arts. She relished dancing, listening for hours on end to Hasapiko and Kalamatiano music, enjoying live performances whenever possible, never missing a parade, and reading for hours and hours on end, losing herself in other worlds and through the characters.

Cathy is survived by her daughters Micheline and Kalli, Sonny Boy, son-in-law Chris Gedwed, niece Viola (Vee Vee Vaggelakos) Kooiman, God-daughter Karen Jacquez, God-son Constantine (Tino) Korologos, and their loving spouses and extended families. She and her Sonny Boy were always up to something mischievous together. Welcoming her transition into peaceful eternity and life everlasting are her parents Voula and Nicholas, husband George, brother John, cousin John, family pets, extended family members, and other "old timers" from
the old neighborhoods and the Old-Country.

The family wishes to extend their deepest appreciation and gratitude to the loving, kind and respectful team that cared for Cathy in her home (Tranquility Hospice), dearest neighbors in Laguna Woods, the team at the French Park Care Center in Santa Ana (Alex, Fareeda and Nurses Maria, Daisy and Rally to name just a few), and most recently, Maxcare Hospice, in particular Nurse Azel. Tremendous thankfulness is extended to the parish of Saint Paul Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine, including Zoe, Father Steven, Dean, Catherine Pappas and other ladies of the Philoptochos Society. "You loved our momma as if she were your own. You brought out the best in her. She was blessed to have such tremendous comfort as her departure became emanate".

A grave-side liturgy will be officiated by Reverend Father Gary Kyriacou of St. Demetrio Greek Orthodox Church on Thursday, December 20, 2018, at 1:00 PM at the Santa Clara Cemetery in Oxnard. Cathy will lay to rest right alongside the love of her life, George. In lieu of floral or plant arrangements, the family alternatively and respectfully asks that you consider being of service to the less fortunate, making love your aim (Corinthians 14:1), in her memory, may it be eternal.