Klio Kokolis, 76, of Cherry Hill, passed away on March 2, 2023. Predeceased by her husband, Spyros Kokolis, Klio was the devoted mother of Kathy (George) Zografos of Cherry Hill, Gerry (Kali) Kokolis of Berlin, and Gus (Zoe) Kokolis of Voorhees. She was the loving grandmother of Bobby, Spyro, Cleo, Maria, Niki, Klio, and Katerina and a beloved sister to Areti Mourelatou and Maria Tsireki. Her sister, Eirini Katsomalliari, predeceased her. Klio was born in Kontogourata, Kefalonia, on September 16, 1946, and moved to America in 1965 with her husband, Spyros.
Klio was an active member of the Greek community of Saint Thomas, immersing herself in the church and teaching her children and grandchildren about their Greek heritage and culture. She was President of the Greek School PTO, a lifelong member of Philoptochos, and a choir member. Klio also directed and instructed the Hellenic Heritage Dance Group, a passion since elementary school when she first performed the Tsamikos in a Tsolia costume. In 1974, she realized her dream of establishing a dance group and taught almost 1,000 students, mastering more than 350 dances. Klio dedicated her life to teaching authentic Greek folk dances to St. Thomas youth, cultivating, perpetuating, and preserving her Greek heritage and culture. Her legacy will live on forever.
In a 2014 interview with Cosmos Philly, Klio spoke about her lifelong passion for Greek folk dance and dedication to teaching it to St. Thomas Greek Orthodox Church youth. Over 40 years, Klio had become arguably the best dance teacher of Greek folk dance in the Delaware Valley, having mastered more than 300 Greek dances. She regularly attended seminars in Greece with the best dance instructors known in Greek folk dance. She brought back hand-made original dance costumes to add to the Heritages library of traditional Greek folk attire. Her students, many of whom moved on after high school, remained dedicated members of the Hellenic Heritage Dance group, returning for special performances and even leaving college to dance for the weekend at the annual festival before returning to school the next day.
Klio Kokolis left too soon, but her passion for Greek dance and her dedication to preserving Greek heritage and culture will be remembered by all those who knew her. Relatives and friends are invited to attend her viewing on Friday, March 10, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at St. Thomas Greek Orthodox Church, 615 Mercer St, Cherry Hill, NJ, followed by funeral services at noon. The interment will be at Locustwood Memorial Park, Cherry Hill. The family requests donations are made in memory of Klio to the Saint Thomas Iconography Fund instead of flowers.