Despina Croussouloudis

Despina Croussouloudis, 93, passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 3^rd, 2026.

She was born to John and Eleni Croussouloudis in Manhattan, NY and spent her formative childhood years in Chios, Greece, growing up with her twin sister, Maria and her older sister, Stella, both of beloved memory. After returning to New York, she graduated from Queens College, with a major in Spanish, and went on to earn a Master’s degree from Columbia University in Library Science.

Despina flourished as a children’s librarian at the New York Public Library in Manhattan for over 40 years. She inspired countless children to develop a lifelong love of reading with her charisma, creativity and her ability to connect with young minds. She led various workshops and programs through the years and truly loved what she did.

Despina also had a profound impact on the lives of her five nieces and one nephew and their children. She loved her family dearly and shared her world with us in so many ways. From book selections to her expert origami lessons to making Greek cookies together, she sprinkled our lives with many unique and interesting experiences and memories. We always looked forward to visiting our dear Thea Despina as she expanded our world to the arts and culture and shared her immense love of nature with us. She will be remembered as a devoted daughter, a caring sister and a favorite aunt to our family.

A Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 11:30 am at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 808 N. Broom St., Wilm., DE 19806. A viewing will be held prior from 11:00 to 11:30am. Interment will follow in Silverbrook Cemetery, Wilmington, DE.