Peter J. Kalmakis

Peter J. Kalmakis
1924 - 2023
GLOUCESTER
Peter John Kalmakis of Gloucester, formerly of West Springfield, died peacefully on June 4, 2023.
Born in Chicopee, Mass on June 9, 1924, he was the son of the late John and Kaliope (Delakis) Kaloroumakis, the fourth child in a family of eight children. His wife of 56 years, Bessie (Galiatsos) Kalmakis, died in 2007. They had changed their last name from Kaloroumakis to Kalmakis in 1977. Peter graduated from Chicopee High School in 1942 and put his education on hold while he served in the Unites States Army from May 1943 until March 1946. During World War II, he served throughout France and England. Peter graduated from American International College in 1951 with a bachelor's degree in Accounting and a minor in Education. He worked for over a decade in public accounting before joining Northeast Utilities, from which he retired in 1986. Later, he and Bessie left West Springfield for Gloucester, where they enjoyed views of the ocean and daily walks on Good Harbor Beach. Peter was a member of Melha Shriners in Springfield, Aleppo Shriners in Wilmington, Hampden Masonic Lodge, and the Elks Lodge of Gloucester. Peter was an avid photographer and an early adopter of technology, staying current with the newest cameras, computers and cell phones. He was always the designated photographer at family gatherings and vacations. He was active on social media, much to the delight of his much younger cohort of extended family on Facebook. He and his wife, Bessie, loved to travel, and enjoyed vacations in Florida, Hawaii, California, Utah, Nevada, Canada, the Caribbean, Greece, England and Ireland. Peter is survived by his children, George Kalmakis and his wife, Susan, of Gloucester, William Kalmakis and his wife, Karen, of Westhampton, and Kathy Dyer and her husband, Kevin, of Rockport. He was the loving grandfather of his eight grandchildren and their spouses, Katharine and John Moran, Michael and Lindsay Kalmakis, Brian and Sarah Kalmakis, Stephen and Jennifer Kalmakis, Jonathan and Katie Kalmakis, Timothy Dyer and Ellen Vickery, Peter and Simone Kalmakis, and Eric Dyer and Megan Woodard. He is also survived by 18 great grandchildren; his sisters, Frieda Kaloroumakis of Wilbraham, and Betty Socha of Ludlow; and many brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, and grand nieces and nephews in both the Kaloroumakis and Galiatsos families. Visiting hours will be held at the Curran-Jones Funeral Home, 109 Main St., West Springfield on Thursday, June 8 from 4-7 p.m. The funeral will be held at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 22 St. George Road, Springfield, MA on Friday, June 9, with a calling hour beginning at 10 a.m. followed by a funeral service beginning at 11 a.m. Burial will be at a later date at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Peter's memory to Shriner's Hospitals For Children-Boston, 51 Blossom St., Boston MA 02114. For online condolences, please visit www.curranjones.com