Cecelia Staryos, 73, of Whately Massachusetts passed away surrounded by family on April 24, 2022 after a long illness. Cecelia was born in Dade City, Florida, the daughter of the late Chris Gus Staryos and Frances Mary (Staryos) Santos. She attended school in both Florida and Massachusetts, graduating from West Springfield High School. She graduated from the SUNY-Potsdam Crane School of Music and was an elementary school music teacher for over 25 years. After retiring, she began a second career teaching wellness and life skills to individuals with mental illness.
Cecelia had a joyful approach to life imbuing positivity and strength to those around her. She will be remembered as a loving wife, sister, aunt, and friend. She was a gifted writer – often using poetry to describe her experience throughout her illness. She adored her pets and embraced a gentle approach to training them. She was also an analytical thinker who loved to research and to share her findings with others.
Cecelia was an admirer of Asian culture, a practitioner of Buddhism, and a Level 3 Master Teacher in Usui Reiki. She was also the keynote speaker at the Usui Reiki International Conference in Boston in 2015. She was a certified Master Gardener with an interest in native plants who participated in the Whately Historical Society Garden Tour for several years.
Cecelia is survived by her husband George R. Pappas; her stepsons Geoffrey Pappas and Steven Pappas; her sisters Lorise (Michael) Graham, Geraldine (Richard) O’Reilly, Cheryl (James) Santos and Michelle Staryos and her many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Merlin Fund (themerlinfund.com) or PMP Pals (https://pmppals.net). A memorial service will be held at a later date.
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