Cover photo for Margie D. Polites (Nee Kossoudji)'s Obituary
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1944 Margie 2021

Margie D. Polites (Nee Kossoudji)

August 1, 1944 — April 3, 2021

POLITES, Margie D. (Kossoudji), age 76, formerly of Centerville and Waynesville, passed away in Sarasota, FL on Saturday, April 3, 2021 due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease.

Margie was born on August 1, 1944 in Dayton, Ohio to Demetrius Kossoudji and Athena Tepelides. She was a graduate of Colonel White High School in 1962. Her outstanding organizational skills and friendly disposition led her to spend much of her professional life in accounting roles for her Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, Gem City Lumber, Moyer Mortgage, and General Motors before deciding to stay at home to raise two sons. She was co-owner of South Dayton Wallpaper Plus where she and partner Darla Stenglein decorated hundreds of homes and the Bachelor Officer Quarters at WPAFB during the 1980s. They were instructed to put up pink and burgundy wallpaper in the B.O.Q. because it had a “calming effect”. She took pride in her spectacular garden and was a member of the Oak Creek South Garden Club in the 80s and 90s. She developed a thirst for learning and set her sights on a college education. She earned her Associates degree from Sinclair Community College in 1992 and Bachelor of Science degree in Business with a concentration on Management Information Systems from Wright State University in 1994.

Margie embraced her Greek heritage at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Dayton where she served as President of several organizations and chaired the Gyro booth at the annual Greek Festival with her best friend Mary Mitrousis Searles. She also loved watching her husband John play clarinet with the Greek Tycoons at the festival and sax with Fifth Avenue band at various events throughout southwest Ohio. Nobody could make her laugh like he could. They cherished taking cruises, traveling to Las Vegas, Alaska, California, and Greece. In 1999, the band began playing annual Greek festivals in Naples and Ft. Myers, Florida. She became a “roadie” along with her friends Diane Kontonikas, Marilyn Blazakis, and Mary Searles. While the band was out playing in the daytime, the girls went out shopping, to garage sales, and to flea-markets. In 2004 she designed their beautiful dream home in Cyprus Ridge in Waynesville, surrounded by woods and gorgeous gardens. After becoming snowbirds for over a decade, they became permanent residents of Sarasota, Florida in 2018. God, family, and friends were her foundation. She adored entertaining, and she knew how to make others feel special. With an infectious laugh and comforting smile, she always made everyone feel welcome. As a mom she taught her boys to “try not to say anything negative about anyone”, and to “look for the best qualities in others”.

As the sixth of seven children, she is preceded in death by her father Demetrius, her mother Athena, and her sister Bessie. Other siblings include Nick, Chris, Ted, Pete, and Toula Stamm. She is survived by her husband John of 52 years, sons Steve (Kelly) of Durango, Colorado; Mike (Holly) of Indianapolis, Indiana; grandsons Todd and Benjamin; and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.
Family will greet friends 1-4PM on Sunday, April 11 at Routsong Funeral Home, Centerville. Private family services will be held. The family would like to express their thanks to the many Dayton-area friends that have blessed Margie’s life. If desired, in lieu of flowers, friends may make memorial contributions to the Alzheimer’s Association of Sarasota, Florida, or to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Margie D. Polites (Nee Kossoudji), please visit our flower store.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Visitation

Sunday, April 11, 2021

1:00 - 4:00 pm (Eastern time)

Routsong Funeral Home & Cremation Services - Centerville

81 North Main Street, Centerville, OH 45459

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Trisagion Prayers

Sunday, April 11, 2021

Starts at 3:00 pm (Eastern time)

Routsong Funeral Home & Cremation Services - Centerville

81 North Main Street, Centerville, OH 45459

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

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