Evangeline (Contos) Mack

While surrounded by her loving family on Friday, February 28, 2014, our cherished wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend Evangeline passed from her earthly life to join her family, friends, and many pets in heaven. Born in the family home at 110 Utah Street on January 17, 1927, Evangeline attended school, worked, and resided in Rawlins, Wyoming, the first 40 years of her life as she proudly stated. She was the middle child and only daughter of her Greek immigrant parents John and Marina (Mira) Contos (originally Kontopoulis), who were fondly called Papou (grandfather) and Yia-yia (grandmother). She grew up hunting and fishing with her father and brothers, James John and Spiro John. She met Dean Mack, and they married on September 28, 1958. They made their home in Rawlins for eight years where they were blessed with their first three of four wonderful children: Marina, their firstborn and only daughter, and sons James and Dean Dee. In December 1968, Dean accepted a job with Mountain Bell which relocated the family to Helena. During their first year in Helena, their family was completed with the birth of their youngest son Spiro. Evangeline and Dean built a home and raised their four children in the East Helena valley. She was a homemaker and cared for their children. She volunteered at their school and participated with the PTA, Boy Scouts, and the children's various activities. She worked part time during the day so she could take the children to and be with her children after school. When the children grew, she worked a full-time job at the State of Montana Insurance Auditor's Division, from which she retired. In addition to caring for her family, she was active in the Helena valley community. Following a fire that destroyed a neighbor's home, she and several other individuals began raising donations to re-establish the East Valley Volunteer Fire Department. She was one of the members of the newly established Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church parish council. Her faith was Greek Orthodox. With no Greek Orthodox parish in Helena, she attended the Catholic Church with her family, and the family traveled with her to Great Falls to attend Greek Orthodox Mass. She was well known for her amazing Greek cooking, especially her baklava-a Christmas favorite. Our home was always filled with the wonderful and tantalizing aromas of her cooking and baking. She taught her children and grandchildren how to cook many Greek dishes, wonderful Greek pastries, and established many Greek family traditions which will continue for future family generations. During frequent family gatherings, if she wasn't preparing the food, we were under her watchful eye to ensure everything was prepared just right. Evangeline loved her family unconditionally and was especially proud of her four children. They were her entire world...until her grandchildren came along. When Kimberly, the first grandchild was born, she affectionately became known as "Grandma" and Dean as "Grandpa," and both have been called those endearing names by everyone ever since. In recent years, she enjoyed Western movies (especially those which starred John Wayne), reading, family gatherings, and her pets to which she fondly called her menagerie. She became the surrogate mom to Essie, a kitten that was only a few days old when she rescued and bottle fed her. She also loved her pet cockatiels, Garth and Reba, and the wild birds she fed outside. In the last two years of her life as her memory started to fade due to the onset of dementia, she continued to live at home being cared for by Dean, her husband of 55 years. Her three children and their families, who have homes neighboring the family home in what is lovingly referred to as the "Mack Compound," and her son and daughter-in-law from Bozeman also assisted with care and support. In addition, the wonderful staff at Frontier Home Health visited and cared for her multiple times each week. During the last weeks of her life when she could no longer be cared for at home, she was compassionately and lovingly cared for by staff at Frontier Home Health and Rosetta Assisted Living. Her family graciously thanks all of the staff at Frontier and Rosetta for their attention to Evangeline. Evangeline is survived by her husband, Dean; children, Marina, Jim, Dean D., Spiro (Connie); grandchildren, Kimberly, Stephanie, A.J., Christopher (Kayli) and Caleb; and great-grandchildren, Kane and Gauge; and close family friends, Jason and Aaron. Her four-legged family members-Suzie Q., Nala, Buster, and Jasper-will miss her dearly. Evangeline is now reunited with her parents, brothers, and other family members in heaven. Other relatives who preceded her in death include her in-laws, John and Marie, and brother-in-law, Eugene. A Trisagion will be held on Sunday, March 9, 2014, at 7:00 p.m. at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church. A funeral service will be conducted on Monday, March 10th at 10:00 a.m. at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church with Father Jason Dickey officiating. Interment will follow in Beth El Cemetery where she will rest near her parents. Friends who wish to contribute a memorial for Evangeline are invited to share with the Lewis and Clark Humane Society or the American Cancer Society.

Service

Monday, March 10, 2014 10:00am

Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church

501 W. 27th St.

CHEYENNE, WY 82001

A Trisagion will be held on Sunday, March 9, 2014, at 7:00 p.m. at Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church.

Interment

Beth El Cemetery

Pershing and Seymour Ave.

CHEYENNE, WY 82001