Spirited, resolute, and devoted to family, Georgia Scordelis passed away on February 14, at the age of 93. She was a longtime resident of El Cerrito.

Born in Youngstown, Ohio, she was the proud daughter of Greek immigrants Gus and Harriet Gumas. She met Alexander Scordelis, a young U.S. Army officer who was on his way to the European front during World War II from his home in San Francisco. Their parents had been friends in Greece before immigrating to opposite sides of the U.S. The couple corresponded, fell in love, and in 1948 was married in San Francisco.

After Alex completed graduate studies at MIT, he joined the civil engineering faculty at UC Berkeley. Georgia’s entire family, including her mother and four siblings, followed her lead, moving from Ohio to settle permanently in the Bay Area.

Georgia focused her tireless energy on her family and on raising her two children, Byron and Karen. She volunteered with the PTA and scouts; successfully advocated for school transportation and park access; and by example taught her children to work hard and think for themselves.

With their children grown, Georgia and Alex traveled the world attending conferences, seeing sights, and making treasured friends in many countries. She was extremely proud to be part of the UC Berkeley and structural engineering communities. She was a board member and scholarship chair of the Femineers, raising funds for civil engineering students at Berkeley and Stanford. She was a loyal Bear Backer, cheering Cal football and basketball, and a member of the Faculty Wives Club and Town & Gown Club.

Georgia’s beloved husband Alex passed away in 2007. She is survived and much loved by her son, Byron Scordelis (Stephanie) of Saratoga; daughter Karen Holtermann (Robert) of Berkeley; and four grandchildren, Marisa, Alexander (Melissa), and Stephen (Mary) Scordelis and Wesley Holtermann.

She also leaves her sisters, Ginny (Peter) Kardassakis of San Francisco and Pari (Peter) Spallas of Chico; brother-in-law John Papadakis of Chico; sister-in-law Gunvor Scordelis of Modesto; and many cherished nieces and nephews. She was pre-deceased by her sister Faye Papadakis and brother Sam Gumas.

A Trisagion will take place on Friday, Feb. 17, at 7:00 p.m. at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension, 4700 Lincoln Ave. in Oakland, and funeral services will be held there the following day, Saturday, Feb. 18, at 1:00 p.m. Interment services will be private.

Friends are invited to make memorial contributions to the UC Berkeley Foundation, designated for the Scordelis Fellowship in Structural Engineering, College of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1722.

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