Maria C. Theophilos

Maria (Critikos) Theophilos, arts enthusiast, beach lover, family devotee and ice cream aficionado, passed away peacefully on Monday, February 15th, 2016 in Hingham, MA, surrounded by her family. 

Born in 1930 in Kalamata, Greece, Maria immigrated as a child to America with her parents, Paul Critikos and Argyro (Carzis) Critikos.  The family settled in Dorchester, MA and Maria, very proud of her Greek heritage, was active in the Greek community in the Boston area for most of her life.  

The beloved (and as she told it, favorite) niece of John Carzis, owner of the former Hugo’s in Cohasset, Maria worked at Hugo’s from the time she was a teenager through her 20’s. She became not only the first member of her family to graduate college but also the first member of her family to earn two master’s degrees, in education and in music, all from Boston University.  A dedicated educator, Maria was considered by those who worked with her to be a very talented teacher, creating interesting projects to keep her students engaged. 

From her years working in Cohasset, Maria developed a passion for the South Shore.  Moving to Hingham in 1974 was the fulfillment of a long-harbored dream for her.  An avid swimmer and ocean-lover, Maria was a fixture at Sandy Beach in Cohasset for decades, and could be found swimming the length of that beach many times over each summer, wearing a jaunty bathing cap and a huge smile. 

Maria was a force in this world. Vital and vibrant, she did yard work and cross-country skied well into her 70’s.  An accomplished artist and musician, her home was filled with her lively illustrations and the echoes of her piano and organ music.  Her love of the arts and the ocean was surpassed only by her love for her family. Through the span of her lifetime, Maria was a dedicated daughter, sister, niece, mother, aunt and grandmother, and her family was always the center of her universe.  She will be dearly missed by all her loved ones, especially her children, who find it unimaginable to live in a world without her singular presence. 

She is survived by said children, Lisa Theophilos and John (Yianni) Theophilos, her son-in-law, Kevin Clines and daughter-in-law, Paula Theophilos, her grandchildren, Lea and Anna Theophilos, her siblings, Christina (Critikos) Vallas, Theodore Critikos and Athena Critikos, and many other treasured nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. 

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the visiting hours on Monday 4-8 PM in the Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald Street, HINGHAM.  Funeral services will be held on Tuesday at 10 AM in Nativity Assumption-of the Virgin Mary Church in Cohasset, 811 Jerusalem Road, Cohasset. Burial will follow in Woodside Cemetery, Cohasset.  Memorial donations may be made to Hingham Elder Services Dept, 224 Central St, Hingham, MA  02043 or Hingham Land Conservation Trust, P.O. Box 10, Hingham, MA  02043.