Alexis Maria Keramaris
Alexis Maria Keramaris was born Oct 20, 1991 in Santa Barbara to Nick Keramaris and Terry Chlentzos. She attended Peabody Elementary, Santa Barbara Junior High, and graduated in 2009 from Santa Barbara High School, where she participated in the Visual Arts and Design Academy. As a People to People student ambassador, Alexis visited England, France, and Belgium during her high school years. Alexis participated in Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church throughout her school years, and took part in Greek Folk Dance Federation yearly events.
Alexis was a talented artist, and participated in a pre-college program at the Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston. While attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she fell in love with printmaking and pursued studies in Lithography. Alexis spent a semester studying art at the Complutense University in Madrid during her junior year in college, a dream made possible by receiving the PanHellenic Scholarship. Alexis graduated from SAIC in 2014.
Her art was elaborate, passionate, and fiery, an unspoken expression of her sweet and troubled soul. Alexis found life difficult and complicated, often struggling to fit in. Her true friends gave Alexis the freedom to be herself, and then she was able to shine. Because of her own struggles with mental illness and subsequent substance abuse, Alexis had plans to attend graduate school to become an art therapist. Alexis always maintained that substance abuse was related to mental health, and really wanted to pursue studies combining the two fields. Unfortunately, Alexis’ life was tragically ended by an accidental overdose on September 3, 2017.
Alexis leaves behind her mother and stepfather, Terry Chlentzos –Panages and Tom Panages of Sacramento; father, Nick Keramaris of Athens, Greece; aunt Effie Keramari of Athens; and stepbrothers Tommy, Anthony, and Alex Panages of Sacramento.
Trisagion Service will take place on Tuesday, September 12 at 7:00 pm at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 600 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento CA 95816.
Funeral will take place at 10:00 am on Friday, September 15 at Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, 1205 San Antonio Creek Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. Interment to follow at Santa Barbara Cemetery, followed by the Makaria (mercy meal) in the Orthodox Center.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation either to Mental Wellness Center in Santa Barbara https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/1403274 or to Sutter Medical Center Foundation. For the latter, donations can be made out to “Sutter Medical Center Foundation” and mailed to Sutter Health Office of Philanthropy, PO Box 160045, Sacramento, CA 95816. Please write “Mental Health” in memo section of the check.
Alexis will be remembered for her beautiful brown eyes, radiant smile, hearty laugh, and sensitive soul. Rest in peace, sweet girl. May her memory be eternal.