Mrs. Kyriaki Shafer, 71, died suddenly Nov. 21, 2002.

She was born in Athens, Greece, Feb. 28, 1931, to Panagiotis “Peter” and Maria Zilacou, and was christened Kyriakoula Panagiotis Zilacou in the Greek Orthodox Church.

She met her husband, Robert, in Athens in March 1957, when he was a U.S. naval officer with Heavy Attack Squadron One. It was love at first sight, and they were married May 7, 1957, in St. Katherine Orthodox Church in Gero Lemena, Athens, after he separated from active duty.

Robert and Koula sailed to the United States on the SS Shirley Lykes in August 1957, arriving in New Orleans Sept. 27. The couple then lived with Robert’s parents, Otto and Dorothy Shafer, in Mission Hills, Kan. Koula worked as a hostess in Putsch’s Restaurant in the Country Club Plaza district of Kansas City, Mo., while Robert attended Kansas University to obtain an engineering degree, which he achieved in 1960.

Their first child, Timothy Dion, was born in 1958. A daughter, Katherine Athena, was born in 1961 in Burien, where Robert was employed as a Boeing engineer.

Koula leaves her daughter Katherine Norwood and grandchild Melissa Norwood of Whidbey Island; son Timothy of Everett; and cousins Gen. Michael Linaras, George and Fotula Mariolis and John and Koula Kambani, all of Athens. Robert, her grieving husband, looks forward to the fulfillment of God’s promised eternal reunion with Koula, his precious gift from God, believing that she is with their Lord Jesus Christ according to his promises.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 29 at Visser Funeral Home, Langley.