Catherine “Kay” (Bogalis) Gagas, 99, of Nashua, N.H., formerly of Haverhill, passed away peacefully Thursday morning, April 7.
Gagas was born March 16, 1917, in Marlboro, daughter of the late Vasilios and Delia (Pervanas) Bogalis of Pentalofos, Greece. At a young age she moved with her family from Marlboro to Haverhill, where she was educated in the local school system. Kay, as she was known to her many family and friends, married the love of her life, Alexander P. Gagas, in November, 1941. They lived happily in Brooklyn, N.Y., until he was called to serve in the Army in World War II and was sent overseas to London, England. She moved home to Haverhill and worked in a factory making jackets for the Navy. After the war, they went back to Brooklyn, where their daughter, Madeline, was born. Her husband worked for the New York City Transit Authority for more than 30 years until his retirement. When their daughter started grade school, she began work in Manhattan. She trained as a localizer for the Great American Insurance Company (AIG). In 1967, the company opened a regional office in Hartford, Conn., where she was offered a position, and she and Alex moved to East Hartford. After her retirement, they moved back to Haverhill. When Alexander passed away in 1983, Gagas found comfort with her close friends at Holy Apostles Saints Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church, where she was an active member for many years. She especially enjoyed participating in the annual Church Festival by helping with the loukoumades, which were a popular and delicious sweet specialty, and for which she became known for her “secret” recipe. Over the years, she served as president of the Ladies “Elpis” Philoptochos Society, vice president of the Pentalofos Society, secretary of the Golden Age Club, where she helped the club president organize interesting trips for the senior citizens, and she was a former member of the Haverhill Women’s City Club.
In 2003, she moved to Gatewood Manor, Nashua, N.H., to be closer to her daughter and her family. She also became a member of St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church, Nashua. She enjoyed sewing clothes, knitting sweaters, needlepoint artwork, baking baklava and koulourlikia, bird watching and gardening. In her later years, she became an avid reader and thrived on good mysteries, frequently reading two books a week.
In addition to her parents, Vasilios and Delia, and her husband Alexander, Gagas was predeceased by her sisters, Bessie Bogalis and Betty Tassios, and brother, Nicholas and Theodore Bogalis. She is survived by her daughter, Madeline and her husband Christos Georgiou and their family, Stefanie Georgiou, and Georgia and her husband Byron Telage as well as nieces, nephews and their families.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend her visitation Saturday morning, April 9, from 10 to 11 a.m., at Holy Apostles Saints Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church, 154-156 Winter St., followed by a funeral service at 11, at the church. Interment in Linwood Cemetery, Haverhill, will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to Holy Apostles Sts. Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church, 154-156 Winter ST., Haverhill, MA 01830.