Walking into danger on Clayton's Centre Rd

Sisters Julia and Alexandra, with their cousins Bill (left) and Anna (right), at the spot where their grandmother Anna Tsavasilis (above) was killed on August 1. PICTURE: MARCELLA DAVIE

Anna with her family at her granddaughter's wedding on December 1. Her death has devastated the Tsavasilis family.

Grandmother Anna Tsavasilis.

Michelle Carnovale
12Aug08

IT WAS just getting dark on the evening of August 1 when Anna Tsavasilis kissed her husband goodbye and set off at 6.20pm for the short stroll to Clayton's Three Hierarchs Greek Orthodox Church.

Clutching her handbag, the 79-year-old grandmother walked the 400m from her Ormond Rd home to cross busy Centre Rd, already heavy with Friday peak-hour traffic.

Minutes later she was dead, hit by three cars under the harsh glare of a streetlight.

The senseless death of a second elderly woman on Centre Rd in less than 12 months has struck a nerve with residents and businesses surrounding the notorious stretch from Clayton Community Centre at Cooke St and west to Harlington St. They say too many elderly residents, heading to church, the doctor, pharmacies or shops, are risking their lives every day to cross Centre Rd.

Three pedestrian-operated crossings are at Clayton Rd, Cooke St and Springs Rd but the community is demanding VicRoads install another crossing in the 500m stretch between Cooke and Harlington streets.

Another pedestrian-operated crossing, just near Frank Ave, was closed by VicRoads earlier this year after the Cooke St lights were installed 100m away.

Pharmacist Vicky Melissas wrote to VicRoads last month expressing her concern over the Frank Ave crossing closure.

"We definitely need another crossing here," Ms Melissas said.

"I cringe every day watching people cross the road."

Mrs Tsavasilis is the second elderly resident to be killed on the busy road in the past year a 78-year-old woman was killed near the intersection of Frank Ave and Centre Rd on November 22 last year.

"If we had another set of lights those women might still be here today," Ms Melissas said.

Mrs Tsavasilis's granddaughter, Alexandra Faull, said her yiayia (the Greek name for grandmother) was well aware of the dangers crossing Centre Rd but she had always crossed at the same spot opposite a bus stop and under a streetlight between Ormond Rd and Eva St.
Mrs Faull and her family have urged VicRoads and the Monash and Kingston councils to install another pedestrian-operated crossing.

"We as a family are going to fight until a crossing is put, not just to make sure yiayia's death was for no reason, but also for the safety of the whole community," Mrs Faull said.

VicRoads acting regional director Andrew Williams said the authority was working with Monash and Kingston councils to investigate relocating the Frank Ave crossing but refused to answer Leader's questions as to when and why the crossing was closed.

A TRIBUTE TO ANNA

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ANNA Tsavasilis was a loving wife, sister, mother and grandmother who was dedicated to her religion, loved her cooking and had a great sense of humour.

Tragically, her life was ended on August 1 as she crossed Clayton's busy Centre Rd, just 400 metres from her Ormond St home.

Mrs Tsavasilis was on her way to the Three Hierarchs Greek Orthodox Church, just another 300 metres up the road a trip she had made almost every day for 30 years.

Her sudden death has stunned and devastated her tight-knit family, who spoke to the Leader last week about the woman they truly loved.

Vasilios Tsavasilis, Anna's husband, said his wife had always looked after him.

"She was my soulmate," he said.

Mrs Tsavasilis was born on November 30, 1929, into a family of nine children. She married Mr Tsavasilis in February 1954 and moved to Australia from Greece in 1964 with their two young sons, Steve and Jim.

The family lived in South Melbourne for eight years before moving to their Ormond St home in August 1972.

Mrs Tsavasilis worked at Swallows Biscuits for four years before taking a job with Toyota in Port Melbourne, where she worked for 14 years until her first grandchild, Alexandra, was born.
Alexandra Faull said her "yiayia" always wanted the best for her family and had played a big part in raising her, her sister and their two cousins.

"She always had words of wisdom to share," Mrs Faull said.

The Tsavasilis grandchildren said they would remember their yiayia for all the things she did for them, from knitting clothes to hiding sweets in her dining room when they came to visit.

"She would say, 'you can't have a coffee without a sweet'," Mrs Faull said.

A keen knitter, gardener and cook, Mrs Tsavasilis was known for her scarves and other handmade gifts she shared with her family.

Religion was also a large part of Mrs Tsavasilis's life -- she was one of the founding members of her local church and took on many roles to ensure the church's upkeep including cleaning, candle-making for the services, preparing big religious events and cooking and serving lunch every week for the church committee and elderly citizens' gatherings.

"I would watch yiayia in the church kitchen organising the food. She was so organised and you could tell the other ladies really respected and loved her," Mrs Faull said.

Mrs Tsavasilis's funeral is expected to be held at the Three Hierarchs Greek Orthodox Church, 44 Knight St, Clayton South, at 11am on Wednesday, August 13.

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