Toula Andrea Oberlies

Toula A. Oberlies (née Aristea Andrea Varouhakis)

Dec 2, 1944 to Jan 13, 2024

Toula was a daughter, a cousin, a sister, a wife, a mom, a sister-in-law, an Aunt, a God mother, and a Yiayia. She could light up a room with her smile and was a friend to hundreds of people, both locally and around the world. Born in Egypt, but of Greek heritage, she was an immigrant and naturalized citizen, landing first in Amherst, OH before spending most of her life in Indianapolis. A graduate of Ohio University, she was educated as a journalist but later became a teacher to countless children over nearly two decades through Learning Time Preschool. Music was her passion, and she sang most Sundays with the choir of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. In addition, she sang in four-part harmony with the Sweet Adelines, where she was a member for 50-years and from whom she received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023, the top honor of this international organization. She was a passionate advocate for children with vision impairments and was a charter member of the Indiana Blind Children's Foundation (IBCF), which named an award in her honor, the Toula Oberlies Creative Arts Fund (TOCAF), providing unique opportunities for students at the Indiana School for the Blind to experience the arts. She was preceded in death by her husband, John Oberlies (see below), by just over four months. Donations in her memory can be made to the TOCAF through the Indiana Blind Children's Foundation, https://indianabcf.org/.