Kalliope "Poppy" (Roros) Pikounis fell asleep in the Lord on December 15, 2025. Born on December 15, 1940, in Chios, Greece, to Panayiotis Roros and Anastasia (Dimidis) Roros, Kalliope experienced the loss of her mother at the tender age of two. At 13, Kalliope emigrated to the United States with her brother John to reside with their aunt and uncle, Aglaia and Konstantinos Frangakis, in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. Their father, Panayiotis Roros, who was employed in maritime work, subsequently joined the family.

Kalliope learned English and acclimated to life in her new home eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. After graduating from Aliquippa High School, she spent some time working as a judge's secretary in Pittsburgh. On Sundays, she enjoyed singing in the church choir, and spending time with her brother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family.

At a wedding in Baltimore, she met Demetrios Pikounis and they were married on October 3, 1965. They quickly settled into a home in Highlandtown, and in the early 1980s moved to Rosedale. Kalliope built a life centered on her Greek Orthodox faith, raising their four children Anastasia, Stamatia, Aglaia, and Vasillios. Kalliope's reserved nature and modest character were a reflection of her inner strength, generosity, and her underlying resilience. She was often called upon to translate documents and accompany family and friends to medical appointments and other types of meetings because they didn't read or speak English. It was also not uncommon for her to make frequent charitable contributions and give freely to those who needed it. She did this willingly and lovingly despite the challenges of running a busy household, and while navigating the difficulties of raising her eldest daughter who had a developmental disability, along with her three younger children.

When she wasn't cooking, baking, cleaning, managing household finances, preparing her husband's lunch for work, or making sure her children were ready for school, one of her favorite pastimes was shopping with her daughters. Even if she wasn't snagging a good deal, she thoroughly enjoyed patiently browsing through a selection of clothes or linens or china.

But truly one of her greatest joys was spending time with her grandchildren, Haralambos "Harris" Kokkinakos, Eleni Georgountzos, Kalliope Pikounis, and Dimitrios Kokkinakos. She felt immense pride in her family, and nothing brought her more joy than being with her children and grandchildren. She was especially instrumental in caring for Harris, Kalliope, and Dimitri when they were infants and toddlers as their parents worked. Her grandchildren had the run of the house, and she lavished them with abundant praise, gifts, and most importantly, unconditional love. She frequently shared how much happiness it brought her to watch her grandchildren play, laugh, and run around together, and she felt truly blessed to witness her children's and grandchildren's school performances, high school graduations, and success as college students. It was truly the happiness only a mother and grandmother could feel, sadly one that her own mother never had the privilege of experiencing, and even though Kalliope deeply appreciated her aunts who helped raise her, the void of not having her own mother during the most important milestones in her life was ever present.

After her husband retired, she cherished traveling with him to Greece, Jerusalem, Canada, Boston, Hawaii, Maine, Las Vegas, Caribbean islands, and church community trips to monasteries in New York, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. She especially loved cruises.

Devout in her faith, she was a longtime steward of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Baltimore. In later years, when her children took her to church for Divine Liturgy or Greek Orthodox feast days and holidays, she was never shy about saying that she preferred to go to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Highlandtown, her home away from home. And she always reminded her children of important feast days and holidays.

In later years when she had health challenges that often come with age, she never complained, always counting her blessings, repeatedly saying in Greek "Glory to God". If she complained about anything, it was about wanting to spend more time with her children and grandchildren.

She is predeceased by her husband, Demetrios and their daughter Anastasia. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Stamatia and Evangelos "Angelo" Kokkinakos; Aglaia and John Georgountzos; and her son and daughter-in-law Vasillios and Anastasia "Stacy" (Clary) Pikounis; her four grandchildren; her brother and sister-in-law John and Angeliki Roros, nieces and nephews, and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 520 S. Ponca Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21224.

Friends and family are invited to pay their respects during a public viewing at Connelly Funeral Home of Dundalk, 7110 Sollers Point Road, on Wednesday December 17, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. A funeral service will take place at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 520 Ponca Street, on Thursday, December 18, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Oak Lawn Cemetery, 7225 Eastern Avenue.