Psarakis, Margaret (Little)
Margaret Little Psarakis, 85, of Simsbury and Niantic, beloved wife of Emanuel N. Psarakis, died Wednesday, March 25, 2020 at Hartford Hospital. She was born March 21, 1935 in Torrington, daughter of the late Douglas Garson and Edna (Fox) Little and was affectionally called Little Miss Muffet by her father. She was a graduate of Torrington High School, attended the University of Connecticut, where she met her future husband, and received her Bachelor of Science Degree in nursing from Columbia University. Mrs. Psarakis was a nurse for the U.S. Public Health Service while in Washington D.C. where the couple resided for a number of years and then Newington Children's Hospital (now CCMC) prior to her retirement.
She and her husband co-sponsored an “I Have A Dream” program where they adopted a class of 6th grade students at Hartford's South Arsenal Neighborhood Development (SAND) school and promised them college scholarships if they remained in school and graduated from high school, spending many years working with the students, teachers and volunteers. She also volunteered for International Habitat for Humanity building homes for families in Guatemala, Jamaica, Guyana, Belize, and Taos, New Mexico.
Peg was a very active member of the First Church
of Christ in Simsbury, serving on various boards and committees before becoming a quintessential “Church Lady”. She co-coordinated the Meals on Wheels program for the Town of Simsbury and volunteered for Visiting Nurses Services. Peg was an avid reader and gardener, having been known to plant 2000 daffodil bulbs at a time. She and her husband loved to travel and was a long time summer resident at Martha's Vineyard before moving to Niantic. She and her husband enjoyed all the arts and had season subscriptions for decades to the Hartford Stage, Connecticut Opera, the Bushnell Visiting Symphony Series as well as the Hartford Ballet, where she was a past Board member, was an avid fan of New York Broadway shows, as well as the UConn women's basketball teams and even enjoyed Hartford Whalers hockey games with her husband.
In addition to her loving husband of 62 years, she is survived by her three children, Helen Psarakis of West Hartford, Peter Psarakis and wife Mary of Pennsylvania and Susan Garvey and husband Patrick of Illinois; her grandchildren, Peter Nicholas Jr., Marissa, Makenzie and Madison, and Katherine Margaret, Abigail Joan, and
Robert Emanuel; her brother, Douglas Little of Winsted; her sister-in-law, Barbara Psarakis of Kent; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Irene and Manny Makiaris of Niantic and many nieces and nephews. Peg's family would like to thank the staff of Hartford Healthcare Hospice, McLean Health Care of Simsbury and the nurses and
PCAS of Hospital; Hospital Emergency Bliss 11, North 11 for their caring support.
A memorial service will be celebrated at the First Church of Christ, 689 Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury at 11:00 AM on Saturday, November 6, 2021. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Habitat for Humanity, 322 West Lamar Street, Americus, Georgia 31709 or to Columbia University School of Nursing, Office of Development and Alumni Relations, 560 West 168th Street, MC 6, New York, NY 10032. The Vincent
Funeral Home of Simsbury is caring for the arrangements. Please visit Peg's “Book of Memories” at www. vincentfuneralhome.com for online tributes.