Ruth Cora Zikakis

Ruth Zikakis, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on April 9, 2025, at the age of 93, after spending the day with her four children.

Born Ruth Cora Smith in Fremont Center, New York, she came into the world early and tiny - just four pounds - and was kept warm in a drawer placed by the kitchen stove. From these humble beginnings, Ruth grew into a woman of vibrant personality, whose strength, grace, and generosity left a lasting mark on everyone she encountered.

She grew up in a rural town where neighbors looked out for one another and winters were warmed by wood stoves. Her father ran a local trucking company, and her mother, the first female tax collector in town, was also the church organist and a Sunday school teacher - examples of kindness and strength that Ruth carried forward throughout her life.

After high school, Ruth moved with her family to Binghamton. It was there, living next door to the local Greek Orthodox priest’s family, that she met a young Navy veteran named Vasilios “Bill” Zikakis - the boy next door. One day he offered her a ride to work, and that small gesture sparked a lifetime romance. They married in 1957, built a family, and grew a life rooted in love, faith, and hard work.

The Zikakis family eventually settled in Ithaca, where Bill and Ruth built Zikakis Chevrolet into a thriving business. Ruth embraced the Greek Orthodox faith and became deeply involved in the community at St. Catherine’s Church. She cooked, volunteered, and formed deep friendships connecting across language barriers with her smile and generous spirit.

She was a dedicated mother, focused on giving her children every opportunity she hadn’t had. While she and Bill never attended college, all four of their children did, and each went on to earn a master’s degree. Ruth took quiet pride in their lives and was always their greatest encourager.

In later years, as their children settled on the West Coast, Ruth and Bill moved to Carlsbad, California. Even as they embraced this new chapter, they always considered Ithaca and St. Catherine’s their true home. After 56 years of marriage, Bill passed away in 2013, and Ruth carried on with resilience and grace. Though her health declined in recent years, her warmth, humor, and deep faith remained steady.

Ruth is survived by her children Chris (Betsy), Mark (Lala), Andrea, and Alex (Lany); her grandchildren Christopher (Katie), Isabella, Maxwell, Calvin, Henry, and Samson; and her great-grandchildren Penelope and Sophia. She was predeceased by her husband, Bill, and her brother Frank.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, April 26, at 10:30 a.m. at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA. Ruth will be laid to rest in Ithaca beside her beloved Bill, with a memorial service planned for this summer at St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Church in Ithaca.

A certain Biblical verse from the Book of Ruth sums up the life lived by Ruth Zikakis: “For wherever you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16) Like that Biblical Ruth, our Ruth left behind the familiar, walked beside her husband into a new community, and gave her heart to a new church that loved her back, thereby living a life of love and adventure - a life worth living.