Betty Coniaris

Betty (Kafalas) Coniaris passed peacefully on Wednesday April 20, 2022.

Daughter of George and Angeliki (Scoras) Kafalas, she was the youngest of five children.  Her parents emigrated to America from Sparta and Kastania, Peloponnese, Greece in the early 1900's and settled in Newark, New Jersey where her father delivered coal and ice by horse and wagon.

She graduated Central High School in January 1942 with awards in shorthand and worked as a secretary at Bell Telephone Company, all in Newark.  After a five month courtship, she was married in 1953 to Dr. Charles Coniaris, optometrist of Newark, who proposed to her on their second date.  They lived in Newark, Colonia, Maplewood and Springfield, NJ and spent a great deal of time at their home in Camp Ellis Beach, Maine.

Betty is survived by her daughter Cynthia (Lou) Mandarakas; son John (Elizabeth) Coniaris; daughter-in-law Ellen Coniaris; grandchildren Nicholas (Lucy), Elizabeth (James), Jefferson (Kayla), and Sara (Ryan) Neault; and great-grandchildren Charles and Emily Mandarakas, Aubree, Harper and Luca Coniaris, and Nolan Neault; and her sister-in-law Josephine Kafalas; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was predeceased by her husband Charles; her son Dean; her brothers Stephen, James and John Kafalas; and her sister Millie Kafalas.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Donate Life America at www.Donatelife.net or Donate Life America, 701 East Byrd St, 16 ^th Floor, Richmond VA 23219