Evangeline "Von" (Cavros) Lillios

Evangeline “Von” Lillios, 93, of Cedar Rapids, fell asleep in the Lord Tuesday, January 28, 2020, in Omaha, Nebraska, surrounded by her loving family.  She was born in Beverly, Iowa, outside of Cedar Rapids, on September 5, 1926, to Paul and Mary Cavros, who had emigrated to the United States from Crete, Greece.  She married longtime Attorney and Judge Nicholas (Nick) E. Lillios on June 22, 1947, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Nick and Von were married for 56 years until his death on May 8, 2003.

            Von was a devoted member of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Cedar Rapids and St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Rock Island, IL.  She was a member of the Philoptochos Society and the Daughters of Penelope.  Von was a federal employee, working for several federal agencies and eventually retiring from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Cedar Rapids. She graduated from McKinley High School and Kirkwood College and attended Coe College.

            Von was the loving mother of Dr. Anna Lillios (Dr. George Everett) of Orlando, FL; Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Lillios, Ph.D (Theresa) of Pittsburgh, PA; Nicolette Diamantis (Dr. Steve) of Omaha, NE; Judge Paul Lillios (Mary) of Northbrook, IL; and Mariellen Crosson (the late Bradley Crosson) of Bettendorf, IA.

            Von’s greatest love and joy were her family.  In addition to her children, she is also survived by fourteen grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren: Dr. Andrew Everett, Cleveland, OH; Christopher Everett, Orlando, FL; Nicholas Lillios (Crystal), children Aiden and Emmanuel, Columbus, OH; Elizabeth Ban (Dr. Christopher), Pittsburgh, PA; Amalia Lillios (fiancé Pierce Bishop), Pittsburgh, PA; Dr. Stephanie Myracle (Dr. Mike) and children Reid and Evangelia “Eva,” Asheville, NC; Christina “Chrissy” Sakkas (Vasili) and children Yianno and Stavros, Omaha, NE; Dr. Melissa Darling (Kyle) and children Stella, Sophia, and Andrew, Omaha, NE; John Diamantis (Lia) and daughter Alexandra, Omaha, NE; Nicholas Lillios, New York, NY; Barbara “Barbie” Lillios, Chicago, IL; Constantine “Costa” Lillios, Chicago, IL; Katharine “Katie” Crosson, Ankeny, IA; and Evangelia “Lia” Crosson, Cedar Falls, IA.

            Von was the kind and gentle matriarch of our extended family and greatly delighted in family reunions and events.  She always encouraged strong bonds among all her children and grandchildren and warmly welcomed and loved new members to the family.  Her family will most miss her words of wisdom, her personal integrity and values, her non-conditional, loving support, and her funny Facebook postings. 

            She was preceded in death by her husband, Nick Lillios; parents, Paul and Mary Cavros; brothers, Louis and Peter Cavros; father-in-law, Emmanuel Lillios; mother-in-law Anna Lillios; and son-in-law, Bradley Crosson.

            Funeral services are 10 am, Saturday, February 8, at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Rock Island, IL.  Visitation will be from 4-7 pm, Friday, February 7, at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home, Rock Island, IL, with a Trisagion service starting at 7 pm.  Burial will be at Murdoch - Linwood Funeral Home, 520 Wilson Ave. S.W., Cedar Rapids, IA, at 3 pm, February 8.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in care of St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Cedar Rapids, IA, or St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Rock Island, IL.

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