Vefa Alexiadou has died at the age of 91.

The beloved cook, according to reports, faced numerous health problems and had been hospitalized recently at the “Papageorgiou” Hospital in Thessaloniki.

Vefa Alexiadou had permanently settled in Halkidiki. In a previous interview, she revealed that the house she lived in during her later years was all that remained of her fortune, much of which was spent on medical expenses due to her serious health issues.

Who Was Vefa Alexiadou?

Vefa Alexiadou was born in Volos on March 19, 1933. Her grandfather, Charilaos Voulgaris, also known as “Makedonas,” was born in Mouresi, Pelion, in 1880. He earned the nickname “Makedonas” because he fought in the Macedonian Struggle (1904–1908) against the Bulgarians.

Her father, Odysseas Voulgaris, was born in Kissos, Pelion, in 1900. He was a cabinetmaker and a talented luthier, skilled in crafting musical instruments such as mandolins, guitars, and bouzoukis.

Her mother, Angeliki Ioannidou, was born in Constantinople in 1910. She came to Greece at the age of 12, following the 1922 expulsion. The couple had two daughters, Genovefa (Vefa) and Zinovia (Voula). Her father passed away suddenly from a heart attack two days before the outbreak of World War II, at just 40 years old.

Vefa Alexiadou, along with her cousin Sophia, her mother Angeliki, and her younger sister Voula, completed her second grade in Volos. During the Occupation, she continued school in Florina.

In 1944, after her family returned to Volos, Vefa resumed her studies at the Gymnasium while also studying violin at the “Kondis Conservatory,” earning a diploma in advanced studies. She completed her last two years of Gymnasium in Thessaloniki and went on to study Chemistry at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

After obtaining her degree, she worked for 13 years at N. Krallis as a chemist and later as a commercial representative for scientific instruments. She became a member of the Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, obtaining a license as a commercial representative.

From 1998, she was a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (I.A.C.P.). She also served on the board of “Archestratos,” an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Greek culinary traditions.

For 30 years, she participated in the Frankfurt International Book Fair and was an honorary representative of the Greek Export Promotion Organization, showcasing Greek products internationally.

While at university, she met her husband, Konstantinos Alexiadis, who hailed from Soufli, Thrace. He pursued an academic career and became a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Thessaloniki. They married on May 17, 1959, and had two daughters, Angeliki and Alexia, and two granddaughters, Chara and Vefa.

On January 6, 2006, her beloved husband, Konstantinos Alexiadis, passed away. In the years that followed, she experienced immense personal losses: her younger daughter Alexia Alexiadou passed away suddenly on October 28, 2014, her elder daughter Angeliki Alexiadou died unexpectedly on February 10, 2015, and in June 2015, she lost her dear sister, Voula.

In 1964, Vefa Alexiadou moved to the U.S. with her husband and their 4-year-old daughter, Angeliki, staying for one year in Madison, Wisconsin, as her husband was on a Fulbright scholarship.

In 1984, her husband traveled to the U.S. on a sabbatical, and the family spent another year there, splitting their time between New York and San Francisco. During this time, Vefa attended classes at Berkeley, studying Dietetics, Food Hygiene, Modern Culinary Arts, and seminars on Food Decoration, Presentation, and Photography, as well as foreign cuisines such as Indian, Chinese, and Mexican.

Her natural love for cooking and talent for improvisation led her to spend countless hours in the kitchen, creating unique dishes that were not only delicious but also beautifully presented. Vefa Alexiadou modernized Greek cuisine by using contemporary techniques and equipment while preserving traditional flavors.

In 1980, encouraged by friends who enjoyed her food, she began her writing and publishing career, self-publishing her first book, Invitation to a Meal, with her own money and the help of Dimitris Tsirimokos, publisher of Health and Beauty magazine, where Vefa was a contributor.

The success of her first book inspired her to write and publish three more books covering all aspects of social events: Invitation to a Children’s Party, Invitation to Tea, and Invitation to Cocktails. These books were immediately loved by the Greek public.

Her publishing journey continued in 1988 with the book Greek Cooking. A year later, she released Greek Pastry.

In 2004, during the Athens Olympic Games, she published The Best of Greek Cuisine, a series of small books featuring selected recipes from her most popular works. These books, translated into seven languages, were highly successful during the Olympics.

The beloved cook, according to reports, had been hospitalized for the last time at the “Papanikolaou” hospital in Thessaloniki.

Vefa Alexiadou had settled permanently in Halkidiki. In fact, she had revealed in an earlier interview that the house she had been living in for the last few years was all that remained of her entire property, which she had spent in hospitals with the serious health problems she was facing.