The oldest woman in Kalymnos, Irene Voui, widely known as “Kyra Rinio” (Mrs Rinio), has died aged 108.
Born on July 27, 1918, she raised six children and was remembered as a resilient figure who supported her family through hardship, personally transporting and distributing milk across Panormos, Chora and other parts of the island for many years.
Kalymnos mayor Yiannis Mastrokoukos described her as an extraordinary woman and “mother-heroine.”
“She was a ‘sword-wielding’ woman,” he said, adding: “She always said what she had to say, what she wanted to say, without mincing words. Straightforward. For our island, she was a mother and a woman who stood out for her fighting spirit and militancy. And for that we all took pride in her.”
