Effie A. Vlahakes of Livingston, NJ, died peacefully on March 31, 2017. A funeral service was held on Tuesday, April 4, 2017, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Westfield, NJ. Arrangements were under the direction of Quinn-Hopping Funeral Home Livingston, NJ.
A resident of Livingston, NJ since 1950, Effie was preceded in death by her husband, Peter L. Vlahakes in 2011, and her brother, Nicholas S. Meris of Scottsdale, AZ, in 2015. Her passions were food, fashion, and furniture, and she was a devoted mother and wife.
Effie modeled during her early years in New York City. She loved clothing and interior decorating, but food was always an integral part of her life. Her grandparents were farmers in Greece who fed 17 nearby towns and villages with wheat, potatoes, corn, lentils, and grapes. Her parents owned a fashionable restaurant in Newark, NJ, as well as being wine importers. Her youth was spent at many farmers’ markets learning all the different types of food. Effie’s mother was another great influence, as she was an ardent cook herself who was always cooking for family, friends, and guests until early morning hours.
Later on in life, Effie was a Cub Scouts den mother and a lifetime member of the Livingston Women’s Club Gourmet Department. She enrolled in any courses involving food, and she studied gourmet French cooking under Julia Child. Her prized possessions were both volumes of Julia Child’s books Mastering the Art of French Cooking, both signed by Julia and Paul Child.
Effie leaves behind a son, Louis of North Plainfield, NJ and Roscoe, NY; a daughter, Valerie, and her husband, Peter McCoy, of Beverly, MA; a grandson, Alexander McCoy of Essex, MA; a sister, Virginia Bishop of Boca Raton, FL; and many nieces and nephews.
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