Flora Sarinopoulos Boardman, 95, of Huntsville, passed away on September 19, 2022 after a brief illness. She lived an extraordinary life spanning ten decades of rapidly changing times.
Flora was born in Fairfield, Alabama, on April 13, 1927, the daughter of Greek immigrants. She graduated high school as Valedictorian at the age of 16, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa as salutatorian from Birmingham Southern College at the age of 19.
Flora earned a graduate degree from the University of New Mexico in 1948. Throughout her 20’s, Mrs. Boardman taught Spanish at Birmingham Southern College, taught courses at Auburn University (then Alabama Polytechnic Institute), taught Sunday School and ESL classes at Holy Trinity – Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral, and was an engineering technician at Hayes Aircraft Corporation in Birmingham, where she was the only female professional in the Hayes engineering department.
In May 1956, she met Frank Seymour Boardman, a new hire at Hayes. They married on March 3, 1957. Flora and Frank had four children and were lovingly married for almost 52 years, until his death. In 1961 they moved to Huntsville, Alabama for Frank to begin work at the newly-formed NASA.
Flora was an integral part of the Huntsville community. She was a founding member of the Holy Cross – St. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in 1964, dedicating almost 60 years of her time and efforts to the growth and development of the parish. She also served as a translator in the community. In 1971 she began to teach Spanish at the University of Alabama– Huntsville. She taught at UAH for 30 years, then continued to teach Beginner Spanish for seniors until the 2010’s.
Flora was trilingual- she was fluent in English, Greek, and Spanish- and she and her husband were avid travelers. Flora also served as an Orthodox missionary to Mexico, Guatemala, Albania, and Alaska. In total, she traveled to 34 countries and territories. She traveled the world, but her heart and home were always in Alabama. In her final decade, Flora continued to travel often, albeit domestically, to visit her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Flora accomplished so much in her long life, and endured much as well. Flora is predeceased by her parents, Anest and Christina; her husband Frank; her brother George and his wife Alice; her sisters, Marietta and Margaret; and her grandson Benjamin.
She is survived by her son Mark Boardman (Cathy) of Birmingham; daughter Dr. Valerie Thomas (Bob) of Tavares, Florida; son Thomas Boardman (Wendy) of Millersville, Maryland; son Frank Paul Boardman (Demetra) of Charlotte, North Carolina; eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Flora was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother; a mathematician, an engineer, a teacher, a traveler. Above all she was a faithful Greek Orthodox Christian, and dedicated her life to her church and to her family. May her memory be eternal.
Services will be held at Holy Cross – Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 3021 University Drive, Huntsville, AL 35816 on Saturday, September 24. Visitation begins at 10 AM with the funeral at 11 AM, followed by a traditional makaria dinner. Internment will occur at 3 PM, Elmwood Cemetery, Birmingham. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Holy Cross – Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church. The family thanks Nancy Culpepper for her devoted care and assistance to Flora in her final years.
