Dimitra Toula Kotsogean

Dimitra Toula Kotsogean (Spilos) passed away peacefully on January 24, 2015. Toula was born on February 7, 1917 in Vancouver BC, Canada where she lived and grew up in the Greek community. At the end of World War II she immigrated to the United States under the War Brides Act and married William(Bill) G Kotsogean on July 11, 1946. They soon had a son William (Bill) J Kotsogean and daughter Barbara A Kotsogean.

They lived in Bellingham Washington until 1954 when they moved to Mt Vernon, Washington. Toula lost her husband "Bill" in 2003 but continued to live in Mt Vernon until 2011. She then moved to Overlake Terrace in Redmond Washington until her death. The family wants to thank the staff at Overlake Terrace for all the wonderful care and compassion over the years.

During her life Toula was an accomplished pianist, was active in the Democratic party and worked in retail selling women's clothes. Toula was always a well dressed woman and prided herself in her appearance. She loved her garden where she grew beautiful flowers and Greek Oregano. She and her husband traveled to Australia and to Greece and also loved to make road trips to Reno. She loved her friends and often had lunch parties to celebrate their birthdays together.

Toula was preceded in death by her husband William G Kotsogean, her brother George Spilos and her brother Andy Spilos. She will be greatly missed by her sister Mary Christopher, her son Bill Kotsogean and his wife CeLinda Kotsogean, daughter Barbara Kotsogean and her husband Steve Hoekstra, granddaughter Amanda Stoupa, granddaughter Sarah O and her husband David O and  their children Macy and Kinley, granddaughter Rebecca Van Wieringen and her husband Ryan Van Wieringen,  grandson Christopher Neuman and his wife Anne Neuman and their children Luke and Savannah, and granddaughter Tamara Franceschina and her husband Todd Franceschina and their children Hannah and Halie.

The burial service will be at Bayview Cemetery (1420 Woburn Street, Bellingham, WA 98229) at 1pm, Saturday, January 31st, 2015. A reception and celebration of her life will be held at 3pm Saturday, January 31, 2015 at the Roeder Home,  2600 East Sunset Drive, Bellingham, WA 98225.