Georgia "Pete" Melba Pechilis Vickers' Obituary
Georgia “Pete” Melba Pechilis Vickers died at home in her sleep just shy of her 101st birthday, thus fulfilling her long time wish to die while sleeping at home. She was predeceased by her wonderful husband, Mosco Arthur Vickers, her beautiful middle daughter, Kim Vickers Abel and her oldest daughter’s generous husband, John Patterson. She is survived by her daughters Kay Patterson and Alice Vickers, Alice’s husband, John Davis, and Kim’s husband Ric Abel and her sweet grandchildren, Teal Patterson and her husband, Matthew Lee, Alexander Abel and his fiancé Kara Kapnas, and the twins, Jack and Ariadne Vickers-Davis. And Georgia would also want mentioned the big loving Pechilis and Panagakos families (including those in Greece) and the Vickers family, all of whom she loved dearly.
Georgia was born on July 18, 1925, in Columbia, South Carolina to Greek immigrants, Peter Nicholas and Mary Panagakos Pechilis. She was the youngest of their five children, nicknamed after her father because she was equally full of spunk (in a family full of large personalities), and the first to graduate from high school. After business school, she was a secretary at Ft. Jackson when her boss insisted she go on a blind date with Lt. Mosco Vickers. It was love at first sight, a courtship through three notebook volumes of love letters, and a wedding after the war. They enjoyed 52 years of a loving marriage until his death.
She and Mosco settled in Gainesville, Florida and Georgia was very proud of her 37 years with the United States Department of Agriculture where she rose to be a program specialist, traveling the state to the district offices and meeting farmers. Georgia was part of the founding group of the Florida USDA Federal Credit Union (now Radiant Credit Union) and was its first female chair of the Board in 1991. She was very active at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church throughout her life, teaching Sunday School and serving as junior warden of the Vestry during the crucial period of rebuilding the church after it burned down. Somehow, she managed to eke out time to devote to her family, cooking dinner every night, sewing costumes and clothes for her beloved three daughters, and keeping everyone in line.
After her retirement, Georgia especially enjoyed anything that allowed her to meet people and socialize. With others, she formed the Adults Pleasantly Pursuing Leisure Enthusiastically (APPLE) group for seniors at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and for many years organized their activities and trips. After being diagnosed with macular degeneration she also formed a group in Gainesville for those with macular degeneration. But she may most want to be remembered for her years as an activist clown with the church or her much appreciated church rap song or her many published letters to the editor of the Gainesville Sun arguing what she thought was right and good. She celebrated her 90th and 95th birthdays by getting tattoos! Those might not be the top memories for her daughters, however.
Her daughters do remember all the time she devoted to her grandchildren, never hesitating to come to the rescue and look after her grandchildren. She took all her grandchildren to Greece, visiting the village her parents were from and meeting her cousins for the first time. It was a lifetime memorable trip for everyone, and she returned on her own for many summers thereafter.
In her later years, overcoming life with limited vision and hearing, she continued to enjoy her longtime Sunday school class, devouring books on her magnifier, and going out to eat whenever she could. She loved her Sunday teas with her Greek friends. She never turned down a mimosa! She remained an inspiration to many, living life to the fullest up until her last days.
Georgia’s hope is that her family and friends do not mourn her death but celebrate her long and satisfying life. She was ready to go. Her refrain at the end: “I am tired of living but scared of dying. I just keep on rolling along.” She finally let go.
The family will have a memorial at her church at a later date. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to a charity that is meaningful to you.
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