Aphrodite S. Hero, 87, of Cornelius, a Washington, D.C. arts and education activist since settling in this area in the 1950s, died peacefully on February 1, 2015 in Charlotte, NC.

Mrs. Hero, a native of New York City, graduated from Columbia University and pursued graduate studies at NYU and George Mason University.

After moving to the Washington area, Mrs. Hero became very active in the local communities. Mrs. Hero was a member of the Board of Directors of the National Symphony, Wolf Trap Associates, Virginia Chamber Orchestra, and the George Mason University Board for the Center for the Arts. She was past President of the Women’s Committee for the NSO, and past vice-president of the American Association of University Women, Mount Vernon Branch. Mrs. Hero was also a member of the Capital Speaker Club, Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary, Tri Delta Alumnae Association and the Arts League of Washington.

Mrs. Hero is preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, The Honorable Sophocles A. Hero. She is survived by her son Gregory (Susan) of Cornelius, NC, four incredible grandchildren (Andreas, Nicole, Devon and Keenan), and brother, James Santos (Ruth) of Stowe, Vermont.

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the National Symphony Orchestra Education Scholarship Fund, the Wolf Trap Education Fund or the Lombardi Cancer Center.

The funeral service will be held at the Saint Katherine Greek Orthodox Church in Falls Church, VA., this Monday, February 9, 2015, at 11:00am with a burial service to be followed, at the Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, VA.

James Funeral Home of Huntersville is serving the family locally.www.jamesfuneralhomeLKN.com