Taffy Valassis, 97, of Elyria, Ohio and resident of Denver since 1958, died Thursday, October 31, 2024. Born in Athens, Greece in 1927, she was a 1945 graduate of Elyria High School, attended Dennison College, and graduated from Bowling Green University with a B.A. in Spanish.
After college, she worked for her father at the Blue Bird Restaurant in Elyria, followed by several years of employment at various Elyria banks. In 1958, she relocated to Denver, Colorado and was employed by Frontier Airlines and, for a brief period, in the Frontier office in Durango, Colorado. Taffy was adventurous and a world traveler who relished her trips with friends and then with her beloved companion of almost forty years, Frank Sims. As members of an antique car club they traveled all over the western United States with friends. She was a gardener, very social, and loved to talk and visit with family and friends. Taffy made wonderful Greek cookies at Christmas that were eagerly awaited by her friends and co-workers; and to her family she was always supportive and generous. She was also a member of St.
Andrews Episcopal Church, Elyria.
Taffy is survived by nieces, Betsy (John Carl) D’Annibale of Clifton Park, New York, and Ellen (David) Wallack of Baltimore, Maryland; great-nephew, John Christopher D’Annibale (Kelley) of Jersey City, New Jersey; greatniece, Sarah Wallack, of Brooklyn, New York; great great-niece, Emma Robbin D’Annibale, of Jersey City, New Jersey; and many friends in Colorado, Texas, and Ohio.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Spero and Helen Valassis; brothers, Ted and Tom Valassis; sister, Lula Polezoes; and beloved companion for almost 40 years, Frank Sims. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 300 Third Street, Elyria, Ohio or Crossroads Hospice, 9775 Rockside Road Ste 270, Valley View, Ohio 44125.