One of our oldest British Cypriot citizens sadly passes away. She came to the UK from Cyprus in 1938 at the age of 15

Maroulla Hambis Michael sadly passed away on Wednesday 19^th July 2017.

She was born in the village of Ora in Larnaca in September 1923 and came to England in 1938 to join her father Michael Christofi who had been in London since 1929 who had a cafe in Windmill Street London W1.

The cafe was a meeting place for the relatively few Cypriots who lived in London at the time, many of whom were subsequently conscripted into the army.

Shortly after coming to London she met Hambis Michael from Khirokitia and they became engaged and married in a registry office in 1943 and All Saints Church in 1946 when he was discharged from the army. They were inseparable until Hambis died in October 2013.

She was a loving caring wife, mother and grandmother and strong willed till the end. In later years she took much solace in seeing her grandchildren who greatly loved their Yiayia Oulla.

She leaves her 3 children, Michael, Andy and Irene, 6 grandchildren, Marie, Andrew, Sarah, Nicola, Alexandra and Kristina. 9 Great grandchildren and two sisters Stella and Aspasia who live in Eastbourne. Another sister Anna died some years ago.

The funeral is tomorrow at St Catherines Church, Friern Barnet Lane, London N20 0NL at 12.30pm on Tuesday 01.08 2017 followed by the burial at New Southgate Cemetery. The wake will take place at the Church hall.