Nita Andreas Anastasion, 98, passed away April 7, 2021 at The Connecticut Hospice on the shore in Branford, Connecticut. Nita was born in Washington, DC on October 4, 1922 to William and Efstathia Andreas, originally from Platanos and Kalamata, Greece.

Greek was Nita’s first language and she quickly learned English once she started school. She developed a love of reading very early which she maintained and shared throughout her life. After studying Latin in school and speaking English and Greek she could give you the derivation of most words and was a whiz at crossword puzzles! When her daughters asked her for the meaning or spelling of a word her consistent answer was… look it up!

Nita graduated from Meriden High School in 1940. Bucking popular opinions on educating women of the day, Nita’s parents sent her to college. She worked hard to earn her education, supervising the transportation of young women to their jobs on a tobacco farm and reading on her breaks. Nita hitched a ride to college in the very early hours of the morning with a family friend on his truck route, then sat in a diner, reading and studying until the college opened.

In 1944 she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Teachers’ College of Connecticut, currently Central Connecticut University, after which she attended Columbia University for her master’s degree. She put her education to work right away in the Wallingford Public School system as a first grade teacher and her specialty was teaching children to read. Through the years she also taught in the Meriden and Ansonia Public School systems. In her classroom she gave her young students dance breaks for exercise, communal fun, exposure to music, and to refresh and transition. It was magic.

Nita and George were married in 1949 and had a love affair until the end. As Dad said of Mom quoting William Shakespeare, “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale/Her infinite variety”. They raised the bar on what a good marriage looks like.

Let me tell you about our amazing mother. She was kind, fun, generous, and must have prepared approximately 8,670 dinners for her children! She held strong educated opinions yet was respectful of the opinions of others. She did a mean side stroke ‘a la Esther Williams, sported fabulous bathing caps, and made sure we had swim lessons and bicycles. Very musical, she taught us to sing harmony listening to Sing Along with Mitch. In 1966 she boldly took her 3 daughters, 8 to 14 years old, to Greece for 2 months, where we traveled to her father’s village, Athens, Rhodes, Crete, and Corfu visiting family and escorting us on wild adventures. She was game.

A longtime member of St Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, Nita served as the Sunday School Director from 1968 to 1973, was a member of the Daughters of Penelope, and the Philoptochos Society. She and her husband, George, were among the first season ticket holders to Long Wharf Theatre and attended the Sprague Chamber Music series at Yale, Goodspeed Opera House, and many other cultural events. In the early 1960’s as a member of the PTA, she helped start the Race Brook School Band and the addition of conversational French to the curriculum. She was active in the Democratic party of Orange and was a member of the League of Women Voters, editing their newsletter. Over the years she cared for her mother, mother-in-law, and aunt and uncle in her home.

Nita is predeceased by her husband George, and her brother, George Andreas. She is survived by her brother, Michael, daughters Cathy, Jean Rubera, Sarali (James Grosso), and beloved grandsons, Grayson Sears and DJ Rubera.

The family thanks the many caregivers who took great care of Nita and guided us through Mom’s journey - Donna, Opal Stork, VITAS Hospice, Dr YunhAh Lee of the Yale Geriatrics Department.

Visitation at 9:30AM, services at 10:30AM at St Barbara Greek Orthodox Church in Orange on Monday, April 12, 2021.
In lieu of flowers Anastasion-Andreas Family Scholarship Fund at St Barbara Greek Orthodox Church.