NEW YORK, NY – GreekNews USA
The Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity family and many New York City based philanthropic organizations will bid tomorrow, Tuesday, January 9, a final farewell to one of their most active members, Lila Jentiles Prounis, who passed away peacefully in her home on December 19, 2023.
Born in New York City, Lila received her M.A. from Columbia University in Public Law and Government and a B.A from Hunter College. She produced award winning radio shows for the Voice of America featuring Telly Savalas among others. Her program “Merlin the Storyteller”, which had thousands of listeners in South Asia, won the Ohio State University Award for Excellence in Radio.
In her distinguished career, she presented to the United Nations Commission of Social Development, the United Nations General Assembly, the Human Rights Commission in Geneva, the United Nations Conference on Disarmament and Development, and the International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Vienna. In 1995, she attended the Fourth World Conference on Women.
Prounis was one of the first six women elected to the then all male Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council and served as its United Nation Representative since 1979. She succeeded in obtaining Consultative Status approval by the UN Economic and Social Council for the Archdiocesan Council. From 1964-1973, Mrs. Prounis was President and Vice President of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Philoptochos Society and has served on the National Board since 1970.
Prounis received the Medal of St. Paul from Archbishop Demetrios and the Medal of Freedom from the Greek Government. She also received the Distinguished Service Award from the Council of Churches in NYC. In addition, she served on the boards of the NYC Commission on the Status of Women, the American Farm School, the American Cancer Society, and several other non-profits.
She was married to Theodore Prounis, who was the President of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity for ten years. She is survived by her children Othon and Amelia, her son-in-law, Dr. Harry Raftopoulos, daughter-in-law, Kathy Prounis and her four grandchildren, Alexa, Philip, Alexander and Karina.
*Funeral Services will take place at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in NYC officiated by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America on Tuesday, January 9th at 2:30pm.
