Maria T. Savas O'Brien

Maria T. Savas O’Brien, 84, of Mason City, IA, died Wednesday, April 1, 2015, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, April 7, 2015, at the Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church, 1311 2nd Street SW with Rev. Joseph Mirowski officiating. A celebratory luncheon will follow at the Prime and Wine. Interment will be in Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM on Monday April 6, 2015, with a Trisagion service to be held at 6:00 PM at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue. Memorials may be directed to the Maria O’Brien memorial fund in care of the family. Maria was born in Mason City on June 25, 1930 to Theodore and Evyenia Potiriades. God blessed her with the voice of an angel, and she moved to North Hollywood, California for her final two years of high school to pursue professional opera training. She was married to Michael Savas in 1949 and had four children: Stephanie (Prohaski), Anthony, Theodore, and Kris (Christensen). They opened and operated The Poodle lounge in 1964, the 'Cheers' of Mason City for nearly a quarter-century. Maria loved her business, and her customers were her extended family. Maria married James O'Brien in 1986 and enjoyed a long marriage until his passing in 2011. She showed her love by giving--her time, her energy, her wisdom, her love, and her compassion. To her children she stressed love, kindness, education, hard work and, most of all, peace and forgiveness. She sculpted souls gently. Maria gave back to her friends and community many gifts and touched many lives in untold ways. She lifted her voice in song from the East Park Bandshell on warm summer evenings to music clubs, weddings, funerals, and most often, from the loft of the Church Choir she directed and loved for decades at the Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church. Her oldest daughter Stephanie filled her shoes in the choir and that made her proud. Her church and her religion were especially meaningful to her. Tradition was her watchword. Maria was always busy. She was a counselor to Miniature Matinee Musicale Club, served as past president of Philoptochos ('Friends of the Needy'), worked as office manager/seamstress/'grandmother to all' at Dance Unlimited, and volunteered as a docent at Music Man Square. Maria is survived by her four children: Stephanie (Dwayne) Prohaski, Mason City, IA, Anthony (Terry) Savas, El Dorado Hills, CA, Ted Savas, El Dorado Hills, CA, and Kris (Dave) Christensen, Mason City, IA; nine grandchildren: Paul (Denise) Prohaski, Altoona, IA, Alyssa (Erik) Prohaski, Council Bluffs, IA, Chad Tittle, El Dorado Hills, CA, Rachel Savas, San Luis Obispo, CA, Nikkos Savas, Boston, MA, Alexandra Savas, San Francisco, CA, Demetrious Savas, El Dorado Hills, CA, Jamie (Ryan) Christensen, Phoenix, AZ, Matt Christensen, Phoenix, AZ; and one great-grandson, Cameron Young, Altoona, IA. Maria is also survived by her O'Brien step-children: Tom (Susan) O'Brien, Urbandale, IA, and Gene (Nancy), Janesville, WI, and step- and step-great-grandchildren: Carrie Johnson and daughters Courtney and Camryn, Urbandale, IA, Kelly (Greg) Meyer and sons Hayden and Brooks, Ft. Worth, TX, Molly O'Brien, West Des Moines, IA, Darcey (Rick) Bedward, Brodhead, WI, and their son Kael and daughter Kelsay, and Christy (Victor) Baumel, Seattle, WA, and son Charley.

Cemetery:
Interment will be in Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the Maria O’Brien memorial fund in care of the family.