Mrs. Geraldine Foropoulos was born May 22, 1937 in Collins, Mississippi. She was the daughter of the late Barney Eaton Rutland and the late Myrtis Vera (Barnard) Brewer. She was preceded in death by her husband, Michael “Mike” J. Foropoulos, and her sisters, Mrs. Lady Frankine Frost (Bobby), Mrs. Jackie Rose Vargas (Ricky), and Ms. Pansy Lynn Bobbitt (Gerald).
Geraldine was a believer in God. She was a Daughter, Sister, Wife, Aunt, Mother, and Friend. She married the love of her life, Mike, on May 25, 1962 in Tampa, Florida. From this Union, three beautiful children were born.
As a child, she worked on a farm and picked cotton, and helped her dad sell watermelons off the back of a truck alongside her sisters. As the story goes, the Rutland girls’ dad used to have them scream to patrons, “Watermelon Mannnn.”
Geraldine was a homemaker for most of her lifetime. She and Mike owned and operated a rooming house in Midtown, Memphis, TN. She dedicated many years to maintaining their family home and managing the family business. Most importantly, Geraldine was a loving mother and wife, and it was her first priority, always. This is by far the most significant role she ever played and there was nothing that she would not do for her family. If you knew her, you were immediately drawn to her lively spirit and funny personality. She loved watching the news to keep up with current events and entertainment. She loved to dance, and won many dance competitions, including some at the Casbah club, and she also danced with the great Jerry Lee Lewis. She loved listening to Wayne Newton, Freddie Mercury and Walk this Way by Aerosmith featuring Steven Tyler. She had an infectious laugh and loved to joke. She could leave you crying in laughter. She loved to shop until she dropped and buy beautiful costume jewelry. She also enjoyed a good Thrift Store shopping trip with her daughter and/or sons! She had a genuine love for cats, and would go to great lengths to take care of any that she came across. She was known as the “Cat Lady” on her block. She once said there is no such thing as an ugly cat. Over the years, she took in many cats and cared for them, with Pete’s help. Her son, Christopher, aka “Pete,” was her loving and devoted caregiver since the passing of Mike in 2001.
Geraldine departed this life December 20, 2023, surrounded by her children at home, after an extended illness. She leaves to cherish her memory one daughter, R. Michelle Foropoulos, and two sons, Michael O. Foropoulos and Christopher D. Foropoulos, all of Memphis, TN; two brothers-in-law, Ricky Vargas and Bobby Frost; two nieces, Jennifer Lynn Stiedle (Brad) and Vera Ashley Bobbitt; one nephew, Destin C. Bobbitt; one great-nephew, Victor Goforth, and one great-niece, Madelyn Bobbitt; a longtime friend, Beth Davis and her family; and a host of other relatives, including her Foropoulos family, and friends.
A visitation for Geraldine will be held Tuesday, January 2, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Family Funeral Care, 4925 Summer Ave, Memphis, TN 38122. A funeral will occur Tuesday, January 2, 2024 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, 4925 Summer Ave, Memphis, TN 38122. A committal service will occur Tuesday, January 2, 2024 from 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM at Memphis Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens, 3700 N Germantown Pkwy, Bartlett, TN 38133.
