Obituary of Sophia William Hahn

Sophia passed away at her son Richard Hahn, and son-in law Robert Hopper's home on May 18, 2014. She has lived with them and was her caregivers for the past 19 months since Richard moved her out from Oak Run California. Sophia was a resident of California ever since she arrived from Greece in 1945, at the age of 19. She was born in Saginaw Michigan on Oct 9, 1925, and when her mother Alice Saites passed away, Sophia at the age of 12 was sent to Greece in 1938 by her father William Saites along with her 5 siblings George, Tom, Steve, Michael and Elaine to be raised by their Aunt Elaine. During that time WWII was at its beginning stages and soon Greece was under German Reich, her brother Michael joined the US Navy to escape the Germans and was killed during his service. Time and time again Sophia at a young age would take her sister Elaine and the other young girls and children and hide in a cave in Mt. Saint Sophia far from their village to escape from the rape and torture brought on by the Germans and the gorillas. After the war, the Red Cross tracked down their Father William Saites (who at the time thought all his children had perished in Greece), moved from Saginaw Michigan to Los Angeles, Ca. In 1945 Sophia age 19, and her remaining 4 siblings showed up in their father's new restaurant. Sitting at a booth waiting to see their father after eight years, and not knowing that their waitress Genevieve had married their father, said we are William Saites children, is he here? Genevieve, their waitress, just became a mother of five children. Steve (her brother) passed in Oak Run in 2007 then George (her brother) followed in 2010. She is survived by her sister, Elaine Saites Rogers of Salinas California; brother, Tom Saites (wife Pat) of Medford Oregon, and longtime friend and companion Bob Moore of Oak Run Ca. Sophia married only once to David Hahn in 1947, who passed on May 13, 1976. Sophia and David had 5 children, Michael Hahn, resides in Chowchilla Ca. with wife Maria, Danny Hahn, resides in Gilroy Ca, with wife Lisa, Richard Hahn resides in Albuquerque NM, with husband Robert, Mary Hopper resides in Brentwood Ca. with husband Don and Christina Wisberg resides in Atascadero, Ca. with husband Troy. Sophia has sixteen grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Sophia retired from Lockheed NASA in Sunnyvale, Ca. after 30 years of service. She had received many awards as part of the Space program that built the Gemini, Apollo and the Shuttle Mission, along with the Poseidon Missile and other top-secret projects. Sophia spoke five languages, Greek, English, French, Italian and German. In later years she only spoke Greek and English, she said after the war she had no use for the others. She was a strong spirited woman who took care of everyone around her and asked for very little in return. Her one big pet peeve was to see a child without shoes, if she saw this she would go purchase them a pair because of having to go bare foot so many years in Greece. Sophia is a member of St George Greek Orthodox Church in Albuquerque, NM as well as St Nicholas, in San Jose, Ca., and St George in Redding, Ca. Rick and Rob would like to express their heartfelt thanks to her exceptional caregivers from Alliance Home Health Care who faithfully and lovingly assisted Sophia with all her needs while she was with us. They are, Byron Tillman, Lucas Hastings, Sabrina Schmidt, Jessica Georffin, Renee Green, Carol Jacques, Vickie, Bryan, and Rev. Patric Copalello. We would also like to thank our friends and family at Expo, NM, our neighbors Mike and Carla, Lisa, Angel and George and Bill and Edith and Debbie Quint for their kindness and generosity. Special thanks to Rev. Father Conan Gill, Rev. Deacon George J Collaros and the Philoptochos of St George Greek Orthodox Church. A Wake Service will be held on Thursday, May 29th at 6:00 PM in the Riverside Funeral Home Chapel. Services will be held at St George Greek Orthodox Church