Dalma Kalogjera-Sackellares' Obituary
Dalma Kalogjera-Sackellares passed away peacefully, with her husband by her side on Friday, February 17, 2023. Dalma was born on February 11, 1954, in Zagreb, Croatia. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jakša Kalogjera and Biserka (Erak) Kalogjera.
Dalma had a unique background, making significant contributions to the field of clinical psychology. Following a classical European education through her first year at the University of Zagreb, she left to study in the United States, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology at Western Michigan University, summa cum laude. From there, she completed a doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Loyola University - Chicago and internships in sleep medicine at Rush St. Luke’s and clinical psychology at Temple University Hospital. She then returned to Chicago to complete a Geropsychology Fellowship at Northeastern University Medical Center. After completing her education, she practiced at the University of Michigan in the Psychology Service, working with patients with epilepsy and patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizure (PNES). Dalma was a gifted writer and polyglot (Croatian, English, German, French, Russian, Spanish, and Latin), publishing several books including 'Psychodynamics and Psychotherapy of Pseudoseizures," "Lateral Intelligence," and "Was Sherlock Holmes Left-Handed." Dalma illustrated cognitive and intellectual characteristics using well-known historic figures and well-known fictional characters in her books. Using the writing style of a storyteller, Dr. Kalogjera-Sackellares made sophisticated psychological concepts accessible to the general reader.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Dalma was a loving, passionate, and dedicated wife and mother. She and her husband Chris were intellectual partners and soul mates. She and her daughter enjoyed a close relationship, enjoying puzzles, movies, and music together, eating dessert before dinner, as well as a great love of nature: the canaries chirping outside, the blooming of the azaleas in springtime, and the way the light shines through the windows in mid-morning. Her humor, zest for life, and beautiful soul will be remembered fondly.
Dalma is survived by her husband, James Chris Sackellares of Gainesville, FL, her daughter Chiara Kalogjera-Sackellares of New York, NY, her brother Ikar Kalogjera of Milwaukee, WI, and her stepdaughter, Stephanie Penninger, of Charlotte, NC.
A celebration of life will be held on Thursday, February 23, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. at Williams-Thomas Funeral Home 404 N. Main St. Graveside service will be held on Monday, February 27, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens in Savannah, Georgia. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Sierra Club or the Defenders of Wildlife.
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