Penelope X. Ballas, 102, of Reading, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at the home of her grandson and his wife. She was surrounded by her loving family.
Born in Reading on December 13, 1922, to Mariantha (Kritikou) and Peter Xavios, both originally from Mytilene, Greece, Penelope was the widow of the late Louis J. Ballas.
A devoted member of Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Reading, she was honored as the church’s 2025 Mother of the Year. She was especially known for baking bread and pastries for the church’s Greek Bazaar alongside her Philoptochos friends.
She worked as a Process Checker at AT&T, Lucent, and Agere Systems, retiring after a long and steady career.
She is survived by two daughters, Maria L. Ballas, widow of S. Henry Lessig Jr., and Cindy L. McGowan, wife of Don Binkley.
Also surviving are three grandchildren, Benjamin D. McGowan, Kristen M. Sterner, and Marco A. Lessig, along with two great-grandsons, Bryson and Dawson McGowan, sons of Benjamin and Keri (Adams) McGowan.
She was preceded in death by her sisters, Diamond Aretis, Irene Karetas, and Efie Lambi, and by her brothers, Peter Charles, Nick, and Spiro Xavios.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, or the Animal Rescue League of Berks County.