Effe (Zotos) Klimis

Effe Zotos Klimis, 96, of Tarpon Springs, passed away on June 9, 2024. Effe was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to Greek immigrant parents, George and Athena Zotos, and was a beloved only child, wife and mother. She was a graduate of Spartanburg High School and then a 1948 graduate of Converse College, she taught at The School For The Blind during her twenties. Her parents owned the Hub City drive-in restaurant and were devoted Orthodox Christians, as she was. Her father, George, was a founding member of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Spartanburg. Bishop Germanos Polizoidis knew Effe’s Dad and also knew a handsome young man, Harry  Klimis, of Tarpon Springs, who was president of the Greek community there.  The Bishop and another family friend arranged a blind date in Tampa while the family was on vacation in Florida. After a meeting at the Floridian Hotel, they were married a few short months later in August, 1956. The couple lived in Tampa for a few years where Harry was a pharmacist and then moved to Spartanburg, where their daughters, Athena and Mary, were born. The family eventually moved back to Tampa and in 1971 they settled in Tarpon Springs. Effe was an accomplished portrait artist, studying under Paul Seavey for many years. She was also an excellent cook and enjoyed trying new recipes from all over the world. During her time in Tampa, she taught Sunday School at St. John’s Greek Orthodox Church and in Tarpon Springs she was a faithful member of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral and the Philoptochos Society. Effe enjoyed art and travel. Her most important things in life were her strong Christian beliefs and her family to which she was a constant inspiration.

She is survived by her husband of 68 years, Harry E. Klimis; her daughter, Athena and son-in-law, Jason Tsardoulias; her daughter Mary and her son-in-law, Kyle Coburn; and her beloved grandchildren, Efimia Coburn and Henry and his wife, Laina Coburn.

A visitation will be held from 11:00 to 12:00, with the funeral service at 12:00, all on Wednesday, June 12 at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Interment will follow at Cycadia Cemetery.

May Her Memory Be Eternal

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