Stella I. Vanezalos, 88, of Pickerington, OH, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family on May 28, 2024. She was born in Thebes, Greece to the the late Ioannis and Parekevi (Meletiou) Stamos. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Spiros, of 59 years, her sister Dora Boufiliou and brother Evangelos Stamos, both of Athens, Greece. She is survived by her sister Evangelia Stamos of Athens, Greece, her brother-in-law James Vanezalos and his wife Mary, both of Weirton, WVA, her four devoted daughters; Ethel (Wesley) Spencer of Logan, OH, Patty (Bill) Nazzaro of Collegeville, PA, JoAnn (John) Kalogridis of North Brunswick, NJ, and Janet (Van) Gegas of Mount Pleasant, WI, her grandchildren; Michael Spencer, Athena and Angela Nazzaro, Kyriaki Kalogridis, and Ioanna Gegas, many nephews, nieces, and cousins, and countless friends.

Stella started her life in the U.S. after marrying the love of her life in 1961. They quickly started a family, and after her husband finished his graduate studies they settled in Logan, OH. Stella immersed herself in the community through school and parent organizations. She shared her love for hosting and entertaining with her new friends, baking them her delicious pistachio cakes, apple pies, and array of Greek pastries. For hours she would tell them about her beautiful life growing up in Greece. Using the skills she learned in Greece, Stella soon started working at Lazarus as an expert seamstress. She worked there for more than 25 years and received many accolades for her dedication and excellence in service. Regardless of their daily one hour commute to work, she and Spiro drove their daughters back to Columbus every Sunday morning for church. Their dedication to the Greek Orthodox faith was profound, and they both sang in the church choir for over 30 years. Her involvement with the church also included working at the Greek Festival every year in the pastry shop with her friends. Stella loved to keep busy and she cherished the time she spent with her children and grandchildren, passing on her love of cooking, baking, sewing, gardening, and traveling. Over the summers she frequently traveled back to Greece to visit with her beloved family and childhood friends. She tirelessly devoted so much of her life to her family and instilled the Greek Orthodox way of life into her daughters and grandchildren.

The family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the Mount Carmel East Neurology doctors, nurses, and the entire Hospice staff. Their attentive care and unwavering support helped through this difficult time.

Visitation will be held Monday, June 3rd at The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 555 N. High St. Columbus, Ohio from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the funeral service at 11:30 a.m. Interment will be at Union Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Columbus, Ohio.