LOWELL. Baptized Fotini, aka. Fay (Krosaris) Panaras, a lady of great Christian faith, loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, cousin, aunt and friend. A longtime resident of Lowell, at the age of 86, after a battle with Alzheimer's, Fay passed with profound sadness to her family.

She was a daughter of the late Nikolaos and Dimitra (Triantafillou) Krosaris, born on August 4th, 1933, in the small town of Kalambaka, Greece. At the age of six, her father passed away leaving her dear mother alone to raise five children with another on the way. A brother, Giorgios, had died shortly after birth.

Her education cut short at the age of seven due to World War II. Their house burned to the ground. Fatherless, the family struggled to survive until 1945 and for years after. Later on, Fay was captured by Greek rebels and managed to escape in the middle of the night, while they were sleeping, and made her way back home. Her mom brought her to a neighbor's house for hiding.

When Fay was only 12, she labored hard in the crop fields, along with her sister, Eva, to help their mother support the family. Later on, she, also, worked at a roofing tile company where her hands would get burnt.

On September 13th, 1959, she married, the late John Panaras. Fay was a devoted wife and a great homemaker. They celebrated 59 years of marriage.

In 1964 the couple immigrated to Germany where Fay worked in food preparation at a restaurant and John as a mason.

On August 1st 1968 they came to America. For them as well as so many other families across Europe it was the land of opportunity. Fay worked at Paris Shoe Co. as a shoemaker in the boot mills of Lowell and John continued to work as a mason.

For decades she was a member of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Lowell and in her later years at Saint George on Princeton Boulevard in Lowell where she would walk from her house for Sunday Liturgy until she was no longer able to walk there.

Fay is survived by two daughters, Vasiliki "Betsy" Crockford with James Brunelle, and Demetra "Debbie" Blanchette with her husband Michael Blanchette. Two grandsons, Joseph Keller with his wife Jill, and Nicholas Crockford. One granddaughter, Fayla Blanchette, one great-granddaughter, Quinn Keller, and one great-grandson, Mitchell Keller. Three sisters, Mrs. Paraskevi Tsiantikos, Mrs. Georgia Vangos, and Mrs. Athanasia Xaxamis. She also leaves behind many cherished nieces and nephews. She was also predeceased by a brother, Elias Krosaris, and a sister, Mrs. Evangelia Tziolis.

Due to current gathering constraints, Fay's Funeral Services were privately held.