Christopher John Pakuris

Christopher J. Pakuris, 80, passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 11, 2021 in Charlotte, NC.

He was born on January 22, 1941 in Providence, RI and grew up in Philadelphia, PA.

Chris met his love-at-first-sight lifelong soulmate, Katherine Pappas, when they were teenagers. Kathy and Chris married in 1962 in the St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Philadelphia. Their marriage of fifty-nine years was blessed with the birth of two daughters and five grandchildren. They have lived in Charlotte since 1992.

Chris was employed by the IBM Corporation in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He retired at the early age of forty-nine to devote the rest of his life to his family and church as well as voracious reading, oil painting, collecting music and videos, and traveling throughout the world with Kathy. His deep faith in God helped Chris survive kidney cancer and other health issues. For the past 15 years, he wrote an inspirational weekly spiritual message which was distributed to family, friends, and churches. In his writings, he often referred to the Lord’s Heavenly Kingdom and his desire to one day dwell there to reunite with his deceased loved ones.

Chris was preceded in death by his parents, John C. Pakuris and Joanna Tsopelas Pakuris, sister Carol Ann Pakuris Topakas, parents-in-law John T. Pappas and Elizabeth Karavassily Pappas, and son-in-law Mark Hambleton. 

He is survived by his wife Katherine, daughters JoAnn Pakuris Graziano and Lisa Pakuris Hambleton, brother Peter J. Pakuris, grandchildren Rebecca Hambleton, Jennifer Hambleton, Angela Graziano Hunter, Christopher Hambleton, and Julia Graziano, son-in-law Michael Graziano, brothers-in-law Athan Pappas, Manny Topakas, and Philip Ranieri, sisters-in-law Ronnie Pappas Ranieri, Elaine Pakuris Sobczak, and Rosalind Marino Pappas, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. 

Relatives and friends are invited to his funeral service on Friday, July 16, 2021 at 11:00 am in the St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church, 5108 Kuykendall Road Charlotte, NC 28270 facilitated by the Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service.  In addition, relatives and friends are invited to his visitation on Tuesday, July 20, 2021 from 10:30 am to 11:15am in the DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, 410 N. Church Street, West Chester, PA  610-696-1181 www.DellaFH.com, followed by his funeral service at 11:30am.

Interment will be in Fernwood Cemetery in Yeadon, PA.

The family respectfully requests no flowers. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church, P.O. Box 1513, Morresville, NC 28115 or to St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church, 5108 Kuykendall Road, Charlotte, NC 28270.