Dr. Sophia Hassiotis, 61, of Hoboken, New Jersey, died on Sunday, June 13, 2021.
Her surviving daughter, Despina, mother, Despina, sisters, Athena and Olga, and other family members and friends are devastated by this loss.
She will be remembered for her youthful energy, witty character, inner strength, and brilliant mind.
She loved working as a civil engineering professor at Stevens Institute of Technology and was at the university for over 20 years.
In lieu of flowers, Dr. Hassiotis would have appreciated a donation to a cause close to her heart. All donations will go towards research for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. More information on how to donate can be found on this link: http://bit.ly/hassiotis-
Visitation for Dr. Hassiotis will be held on Wednesday, 16, 2021 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM at Lawton-Turso Funeral Home in Hoboken (633 Washington Street, Corner of Seventh & Washington Streets, Parking on Seventh). A graveside remembrance will follow immediately after at Hillside Cemetery in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.
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- For safety, the number of attendees indoors will be monitored by the management and may be limited to avoid overcrowding
- All attendees must practice social distancing while paying their respects
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My sincere condolences on the passing of Sophia. She was a great professor/researcher and she was always willing to help everybody. Thoughts and prayers for her daughter Despina and her family!
Sophia radiated intelligence and joy. I am so, so sorry she is gone. Her daughter, Demi, meant the world to her. Please accept my heartfelt condolences.
Prayers for Professor Hassiotis and deepest condolences to her family. She was a great lady.
My deepest condolences to her family. She was a mentor, friend and educator. I am speechless and I’m loss of words . This is big loss to all of us
Sophia was a bright spirit. I will always remember her smile and wit. My thoughts are with her family, particularly her beloved daughter Demi.
My sincere condolences to Sophia’s daughter and to her other family members. This was such a shock to lose Sophia, a vibrant and generous person, who I have known for many years as a faculty colleague.
It is hard to believe that our beloved cousin Sophia, who was full of life, creativity and joy, passed away. We will keep in our hearts her sweet smile. Courage and strength to her family!
I was in the graduating class of ‘07. She was such a vibrant professor who had a passion for teaching. She loved her daughter so much.
My favorite memories of her are:
“There are two kinds of people in this world. Greeks and barbarians.”
She was offended by “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” not because it made fun of Greeks. Rather, it was “boring” because she said her and her family were way crazier and more fun than the movie characters.
She walked around campus one day with a lapped rebar saying that she looked like John the Baptist.
I enjoyed her energy as a student and even got to work for her for a semester during my senior year. I hope to attend the memorial service at Stevens.
The world lost a great soul the day Sophia passed. I will miss you my good friend! Your smile and laughter, your positive energy and your enthusiasm for life were infectious. My deepest condolences to Demi and the rest of the family!
I can’t believe this amazing mother has passed… her devotion to her daughter Demi was so unconditional…. Always a smile , a genuine beauty… she truly glowed around her daughter and guided her with such love…..I can’t believe this… Hesrtbroken and taken to soon… may she rest in gods peace and Her beautiful Demi strength 💔💔💔💔
Our long-time Hoboken travel soccer team mourns the enormous loss of Sophia who lit up the sideline with her humor and cheering at every game in which Demi played for years — Go Dem-Dem!! I feel so lucky to have gotten to know her, Demi, Athena and other family members through those many games and to watch our girls grow up together….like family. What a joyous reunion we had at the last home game this May when Coach Marc asked all the alumna players and Coaches Ilana and Will to come cheer on the team. Sophia and Demi arrived in lock step at game time, and we had so much fun catching up and hearing about Demi’s first year of college and the new course Sophia was planning. What precious time. Demi, we are all thinking of you and here for you.
So sad. Being the same age, I knew Sophia in the 80s, when she was a Grad student/Researcher at Purdue. I still remember how bright, vibrant and joyful she was! Warmest Condolences to her family…’may you live to remember her with love’ as we say in Greek. May she rest in peace…
Sofia it ‘s been a long time since we last saw you at Purdue. We were very close friends at that time. Then our roads split but we have never stopped appreciating the good times we all had. When we think of you the first thing that comes to our mind is your joyful, kind smile. Always kind, energetic, full of love towards others, and ready to learn about the world around us. You were always appreciating life and searching knowledge in awe. You are an example of the joy of life. We are sure that wherever you are, these good qualities follow you because you are made of them. May you rest joyfully and peacefully in paradise. Your friends, Theodore Trafalis and Irini Nerantzopoulou Trafalis
Professor Hassiotis was an inspiration to me- especially as a female in engineering. She was always so energetic and vibrant. Everyday she would enter the classroom with a smile. I remember how poised and beautiful she was, her dark hair pulled into a loose bun, with colorful silk scarves effortlessly around her neck. She always had trust and respect for her students- even to the point where she would leave the room during exams and go to her office. I also remember how often she would speak of her daughter and how proud she was of her.
My deepest condolences to her family. May she rest in peace.
Oh my dear Sophia, I’m so glad we got together in NYC in 2018! I will remember it forever. After so long apart, we took up like we had seen each only the day before. We were so young back at Purdue, living on so little money, sharing our apartment, having good times and bad times. How could we know how short your time would be? We never went on the trip to Greece that we talked about over and over. Forty years have passed since we met, but it seems like yesterday. You looked the same, spoke the same, had the same infectious energy that filled every void. How is it possible for someone so full of life to be taken away? I regret that we did not try harder to go on our European adventure together. I regret that we did not try harder to see each other more often. Such a lesson you have given me, to remind me not to put off the important things. You were blessed with loving family, and you remind me to appreciate mine. I love you so much. You were such and important part of my life at a time when I needed a true and loyal friend. I am a better person because I knew you. Surely many people can say the same. Rest sweet friend, someday we will have another reunion, please have the ouzo ready for my arrival!
Words cannot express the profound sadness we feel in our hearts and minds at the passing of Sophia from this world to the next (where we shall meet again.)
She was one of the great minds of our generation and took time to be a good and faithful friend and loving mother. She will be missed by many. “Agape” is the word that characterizes her best.
May her memory be a blessing and inspiration for all of us.
I will always remember your radiant smile. You brought joy into the hearts of all who knew you. Rest in peace dear friend.
My first lecture in US was conducted by here. Love the way she tie handkerchief around her neck. You will be missed.
Sophia was a force! Her laughter was contagious. Sophia had a passion and commitment to her students especially women who she mentored, coached and guided. And Sophia’s love for her daughter Despina knew no bounds. I remember Sophia telling me many times, “People think I’m difficult! — I’m not! I just want to get things done the right way:) ….and then the big smile and hearty laugh.
Sophia was one of my students at Purdue from 1981 to 1983; I was her advisor for her MS thesis. Although I was not her advisor when she came back to Purdue for her PhD, I interacted with her often and we remained friends since then. The last time we spent time together was a few years ago. We had dinner together in NYC and talked about her work, old times, but mostly she talked about her daughter. She was so proud of her.
Sophia was fun, bubbly and a dynamo within a research group. She worked hard but loved to have fun and enjoy friends. She was proud of the “greek blood” flowing through her! She was a great friend and I will miss her dearly.
Jean-Lou Chameau
President Emeritus, Caltech
I was very saddened to hear about Sophia’s passing. My deepest condolences to Despina and her family.
Sophia was a mentor and one of my favorite professors at Stevens. She had her daughter Despina during my time there – I had never seen her so happy. Sophia was a big influence early in my career. First helping me get into MIT for my Masters degree in Structural Engineering (in exchange for which I had to babysit Despina :))
and providing invaluable career advice. She always told me that I would have a very successful career and encouraged me to do better in school and realize my full potential. She believed in me. I owe her a lot.
My wife and I just had a baby and we named her Sophia. My biggest wish is that turns out to be as good a person, smart and kind as her namesake.
We are very sorry to hear about the passing of Sophia Hassiotis. I fondly remember Sophia when we were students at Purdue University over 30 years ago. She was President of the Hellenic Students Association and always brought enthusiasm and enjoyment in all of our meetings and events. Sophia was a very kind, loving, and generous person. Our deepest condolences to her daughter and family. Her memory be eternal. Rest in Peace and God be with you in the Lords Gallery.