Paula Nomikos Obituary

Paula Apostolakos Nomikos passed away peacefully in the morning of Sunday, September 14, 2025, at Saint Francis Downtown Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina, after several months of sharply declining health. Paula (Politimi) was born on November 14, 1936, in the small village of Parorio outside of Sparta, Greece, to Helen (née Kanelakos) and Rev George Apostolakos. The middle child of seven surviving siblings, Politimi (meaning "precious") was paralyzed briefly by polio at a young age. She and her family endured the Nazi invasion and Axis occupation of Greece during World War II. Her mother's US citizenship allowed the family to immigrate to the United States of America in 1947, where they settled in Queens county, New York. Politimi's American cousins started calling her "Pauline," and she taught herself how to read English by reading "Wonder Woman" comic books. At the age of 16, Pauline met her soulmate, Emanuel "Manny" Nomikos, when he pulled her hair during church choir practice. They lovingly aggravated each other ever since. In spite of attending different high schools, Pauline and Manny grew in their relationship, and they were married on March 3, 1957. Manny had been working in the mail room of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in Manhattan, New York, and Pauline had a job with the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company in Brooklyn, New York. For their future stability, the young couple decided that Manny would enlist in the United States Air Force. At the end of 1957, the newlyweds moved to Arizona, where Manny was stationed as a radar operator on Mount Lemmon and Paula worked as a secretary in Tucson. Two years passed and the couple welcomed their first son, Dion Paul. A little over a year later, they were expecting another child, their son Peter Paul. Since Manny had completed his assigned tour of duty, they decided to return with their growing family to their home state of New York, where he resumed his employment at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. After several years of living in the city with their two sons, Pauline and Manny built a house in the suburbs of Long Island. Shortly after moving in, their daughter Maria-Elena arrived. While caring for their home and children, Paula sold Avon products. She also found the time to teach Sunday School and to volunteer at the local nursing home. Manny felt that the long hours spent commuting by train to New York City for his job put a strain on the young family. After much discussion, Paula was agreeable to relocating to a different state when Manny was offered a position at one of Metropolitan Life's new computer data centers. So in 1974, Paula and Manny embarked on a new adventure by moving their family to South Carolina, where they built a new house in Simpsonville. Once their youngest child entered middle school, Paula began working as an office manager for the local clinic of the South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health. This experience led her to a long career as Practice Manager for private mental health counselors and Chiropractic doctors, and she started a home business called ChiroAssist. Outside of work, Paula enjoyed cooking and creating recipes, reading, gardening and flower arranging, and traveling with her husband. She also sewed and knitted, and she created many hats and blankets for the homeless and for patients in local hospitals. Paula served as a Sunday School teacher, and she participated in her church's choir for over twenty years. She helped with the annual Saint George Greek Festival many times. She volunteered to provide companionship to nursing home residents and helped to care for the elderly members of her community. In addition, Paula and Manny have donated funds toward the construction and operation of All Saints Greek Orthodox Monastery in Calverton, New York. Paula is survived by her sons, Dion and Peter (Alisa) Nomikos; her daughter, Maria (Michael) Atkinson; her grandchildren, Jeremy and Katrina Atkinson; a brother-in-law, Louis Demeson; two sisters-in-law, Mary Ann Apostol and Irene Kateris; many nieces and nephews; several cousins around the world; and four godchildren. Manny, her husband of 68 years, passed away on October 8, 2025. Paula is predeceased by her parents and all of her siblings. The Funeral Service for Paula Nomikos will be held on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 406 North Academy Street, Greenville, South Carolina. This will be a double funeral for Paula and her husband Manny. Visitation will be in the Cathedral starting at 1:00 p.m., and the Funeral Ceremony will begin at 1:45 p.m. The Committal Service will take place at Graceland East Memorial Park Mausoleum, 2206 Woodruff Road, Simpsonville, South Carolina. Following this, a traditional Reception Meal will be offered by the Saint George Ladies Philoptochos Society at Silver Bay Seafood Restaurant, 916 NE Main Street, Simpsonville. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations in Paula's memory to be sent to All Saints Greek Orthodox Monastery, P.O. Box 215, Riverhead, NY 11901. "I Love You More Than Yesterday, Less Than Tomorrow."