Greek-American Historical Museum of Washington State

Education

The Easy-Going Professor
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Demetrios “Dimitri” Spyridakis
Crete Education Exhibits Greece Immigrant Making a Living Nationality Puget Sound Seattle Type of Work Uncategorized Washington State Western Washington

Demetrios “Dimitri” Spyridakis has never said “no” in public or to his students. He credits his success as an environmental engineering professor to the positive support he gave to them and their work.

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Out of the Detroit Bubble
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Barbas Family
Business Owner Central Greece Church Education Exhibits First Generation Greece Making a Living Military Nationality Organizations Philoptochos Puget Sound Real Estate Saint Demetrios Seattle Type of Work Washington State Western Washington

Tom, Helen and Demetra Barbas’ family moved to Seattle, Washington, in November of 1944 from a protective Greek “bubble” in Detroit, Michigan.

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Proud to Be Greek
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Maria (Mary) Doxanis (Docsanes) Erickson
Education Evia Exhibits First Generation Greece Keeping Community Restaurant Second Generation SW Washington

The story that follows was written by Maria (Mary) Doxanis (Docsanes) Erickson in April of 2014 and has been reformatted and edited for this exhibit.

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Across the World’s Oceans and Seas
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Holly and Nick Poulias
AHEPA Church daughters Education Exhibits Greece Immigrant Ionian Islands Islands Making a Living Nationality Organizations Peloponese Puget Sound Railroad Saint Demetrios Seattle Type of Work Uncategorized Washington State Western Washington

Hariklia “Holly” Poulias shares a unique Greek and Japanese heritage. She and her husband Nick share their stories of international travel and their lives in Seattle, Washington.

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Brothers From Blyn
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Bill, Harry, and Gus Kravas
Education Keeping Community Peloponese Peninsula Second Generation

The three Kravas brothers, Bill, Harry and Gus, grew up on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. They were poor by today’s standards but never knew it, thanks in large part to parents who provided them with a loving environment and a deep appreciation of their Hellenic heritage.

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Where in the World is Quincy?
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Andreanna Raptis Zafiropoulos
Athens Central Washington daughters Education Everett First Generation Keeping Community Saint Demetrios

Andreanna Raptis Zafiropoulos has always wanted to write the history of Greeks in Washington State. However, when she left Everett for Quincy, she had no idea that her desire would be realized.

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A Whole Second Life
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Christina Siaterlis
Education First Generation Keeping Community Peloponese Peninsula Saint Demetrios

The 1950s in Port Angeles, Washington, was a time of assimilation and conformity for Christina Caris (Kakouros) Siaterlis. But living in Greece and a Greek husband have enriched her life and given her a full appreciation of her Greek heritage.

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Learning the Hard Way
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May Fenerly
Education Everett Exhibits First Generation Making a Living Peninsula Turkey

Thomay (from Thomas) “May” Fenerly grew up in a small cottage on Sequim Bay on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula without a road until 1937 and without electricity until 1955.

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Climb Every Mountain
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Ted Kaltsounis
AHEPA Education Epiros Immigrant Making a Living Northern Greece Saint Demetrios Seattle

At fifteen years of age, Ted (Theodore) Kaltsounis, his parents and five siblings escaped from Albania over the mountains into Greece to avoid communism and execution of his father.

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Conscience of Education
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Nick Nickolas
AHEPA Education GAPA Making a Living Saint Nicholas Tacoma

When Nick Nickolas was told by the superintendent that the guidance program was the conscience of the Kent School District, he knew he had found the right place to serve in his profession.

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