Betty Valassi: key obituary facts
Is Betty Valassi dead? Yes. Betty Valassi died on October 15, 2026, at age 89.
Cause of death: Betty Valassi's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Betty Valassi known for?
Betty Valassi was a Greek actreas.
Betty Valassi, a Greek actress whose credits included Loxantra, The Hunters and A Dream of Passion, died in Athens on October 15, 2026, aged 89.
She was born Despo, also known as Despoina, in Thessaloniki on January 10, 1937, to parents who had come to Greece as refugees from Asia Minor. Her mother changed her name to Betty.
When Valassi was young, her parents separated: her father remained in Katerini and established a tobacco production business, while her mother moved to Athens. The tobacco trade had also been part of her father’s family life in Asia Minor. His older brother was killed by Turks in 1922. Valassi attended the 5th Athens Gymnasium in the Exarcheia district. She studied theatre with instructors including Emilios Chourmouzios, Katina Paxinou, Angelos Terzakis and Socrates Karantinos. Her acting work included the Greek productions Loxantra and The Hunters, as well as A Dream of Passion. Her life connected Thessaloniki, where she was born, with Athens, where she later studied and died, while her early family history was shaped by displacement from Asia Minor.