Mexico City, 29 December 2021

My mother often speaks of how my grandmother Despina was unable to paint a monkey blue. Despina would say monkeys are brown so why would I paint them blue?!

Despina always spoke her mind with such ease and confidence, a quality that has certainly flowed down to her children and grandchildren. She was someone I could always count on to tell a story the way it was meant to be told, facts, dates and of course, with her outstanding memory, the precise names of all those involved.

Storytelling was one of the strongest traits passed down to her through the Zervudachis. Sadly, this year we have lost two of their strongest members, Marke and Despina, both pillars of a generation of knowledge, respect, and dignity. Such qualities, which I am so pleased to recognise in those who knew them both and who carry on their legacy with brilliance and pride.

At a height of one and a half meters, Despina stood as proud as the tallest of men in the room, whilst everyone else – the young, the old, and the not so old – would go silent to make sure not to miss any word of each and every extraordinary tale she would tell. She was always at the forefront of any crowd, not because she pushed or shoved her way through but because the people would themselves push aside, out of the way, to let her through.

I’ve always been proud of having a grandmother like Despina, and I certainly learned a lot from her, from knitting to patchwork, to scrabble. Naturally I’m not yet at her level at any of these as she played, knitted, and painted with utter PER-FEC-TION. She never even missed a stitch!

Despina had a mighty good sense of humour, finding the humour in any story and rarely letting her life troubles be known or heard. She was an optimist, who would make sure to keep us all at our best wits and reminding us if our socks ever needed to be pulled up.

Dearest Pimpa, your stamina, your elegance, your grace have been passed on and we will do our best to be as good at life’s challenges as you have been. I love you, Pimpa.

Your grandson Pablo, whose love and admiration will always keep on growing.

PABLO DE LABORDE LASCARIS