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Family Comes First
Exhibit, Personal History Greeks of Washington Exhibit, Personal History Greeks of Washington

Family Comes First

The walls of Tom Cassis’ basement recreation room contain a family history of plhotos beyond imagination.  For him as long as the family comes first, everything else will fall in line.  His memory of names, dates and places shows how important those relationships have been in his life.

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From Katafigi to Kaiser
Personal History Greeks of Washington Personal History Greeks of Washington

From Katafigi to Kaiser

John (Ioannis) Theodoros Gormanos has written extensively about his life beginning with his childhood in northern Macedonia through his long journey to Spokane, Washington. He has documented the history of his family in Greece, his experiences coming to Washington State, the story of his Uncle Paul and Aunt Mary who sponsored him and the story of his petherika (in laws) George and Vasiliki Deliganis.

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Learning the Hard Way
Exhibit, Personal History Greeks of Washington Exhibit, Personal History Greeks of Washington

Learning the Hard Way

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.  Despite the challenges of living and learning in a remote location May successfully pursued and developed a career in education.  She has also meticulously documented the family history in words and photos.

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Making Sweet Music Together
Exhibit, Personal History Greeks of Washington Exhibit, Personal History Greeks of Washington

Making Sweet Music Together

For 58 years, Peter Evans Jr. and Anna Damoulou Evans have maintained their faith, their vows and their musical interests.  They recall many activities in their Greek Orthodox Church, in their community and with their family where music and singing have played an important part. 

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Come Fly With Me
Exhibit, Personal History Greeks of Washington Exhibit, Personal History Greeks of Washington

Come Fly With Me

Born in Washington State, Diana Aristides Bacas (nee Delimitros) has the best of three worlds and is equally at home in Madrid, Athens or Seattle.  She also believes that she is truly blessed to have lived in this particular timeframe of history, to have been born in Seattle, wanted and loved by her family and to have experienced an extraordinary and unique timeframe of aviation history.

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Hires to You
Personal History Greeks of Washington Personal History Greeks of Washington

Hires to You

Steve (Stavros) James Sourapas’ Greek family experience and the operation of the family business were closely intertwined. He presents both with an extensive collection of photos, memorabilia and documents in his very organized fashion. As he says, “Organization has been my life.”

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Drawn To Medicine
Personal History Greeks of Washington Personal History Greeks of Washington

Drawn To Medicine

What did doctors do before graphic technology was available? In Washington State they turned to Joy (Zoe) Goodwin (nee Polis) to provide incredible likenesses of the human body for use in teaching and sharing anatomical knowledge.

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Climb Every Mountain
Personal History Greeks of Washington Personal History Greeks of Washington

Climb Every Mountain

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. His life has subsequently followed a complex path to earn his place as a respected scholar and teacher in the United States.

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It Really Did Take A Village
Exhibit, Person Greeks of Washington Exhibit, Person Greeks of Washington

It Really Did Take A Village

 While the town of Manson, Washington, was reminiscent of her parents’ homes in Greece, hers was the only Greek family in the area.  For Diamando (Manda) Tagas Bekris, it really did take a village to raise a child.  It was from the influence and urging of non-Greek neighbors that she was able to learn about the world outside of her own family.

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That Sounds Like Greek to Me
Personal History Greeks of Washington Personal History Greeks of Washington

That Sounds Like Greek to Me

“THAT SOUNDS LIKE GREEK TO ME”

On his first day of school when Lazarus Stylianos Politakis was hit in the head with a baseball bat he cried out for help in his native tongue.  Someone said, “That sounds like Greek to me.”

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Conscience of Education
Personal History Greeks of Washington Personal History Greeks of Washington

Conscience of Education

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. He has had a very full and successful 35-year career as a teacher, guidance counselor, school psychologist and administrator.

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Boats, Cars, And Family Dinners
Personal History Greeks of Washington Personal History Greeks of Washington

Boats, Cars, And Family Dinners

Would you really want to buy insurance from a man who fell out of a second story window or had a tree fall on him while driving his convertible? Many satisfied clients have! With a life-long interest in cars, boating and his Greek community, Dean (Demetrios) Athos (Athanasios) Lentgis’ (Sepentzis or Sentgis) experiences make him a well-known Greek-American in the Seattle area.

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All You Need is Love
Personal History Greeks of Washington Personal History Greeks of Washington

All You Need is Love

When Aphrodite (Ethel) Turlis Tschida’s first child was born, her love for the baby was overwhelming and she feared that she would not have enough love for future children.  Now, with four children, 17 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, and four more great grandchildren due before the end of 2011, she knows that love only increases with more.

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AHEPA’s Unsung Hero
Personal History Greeks of Washington Personal History Greeks of Washington

AHEPA’s Unsung Hero

Combine a 50-year career in oceanography, over 70 years as a photographer, over 50 years using computers and over 40 years studying his Greek heritage and one begins to appreciate the fruitful life of Eugene (Efthemios) Evans (Evangelos) Collias.

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