Honorable George C. Paras

1948 - 2018

Honorable George C. Paras (Paraskevopoulos) GARY, IN - Honorable George C. Paras, age 70, of Gary "Miller Beach" passed away peacefully on September 14, 2018. He was born July 18, 1948 to Christos and Maria Paraskevopoulos. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Stella (Dennis) Tripodis and Theresa (Manuel) Christos. Judge Paras is survived by his beloved wife of 25 years, Catheron A. Paras and son, Phillip G. Paras, daughter, Deanna Paras and son, Christos G. (Amanda) Paras; adored grandchildren: George C. Paras II and Theodora Paras; brother, Steve (Carol) Zaharias; sister, Irene Santos; nieces and nephews: Dino (Connie) Tripodis, Maria Atsas, Dr.'s George (Nerrin) Zaharias, Diana (Steven) Burlingame, John (Kim) Christos, Chris (Panorea) Zacharias, and Helene (John) Tripodis; many cousins and great nieces and nephews; dear friends: Dr. Harry Frank, Ken Woodside, Dan Bozich, George Kolletis, George Dovellos, Atty. Michael Troumouliaris, Hon. Nicholas Schiralli, Hon.Lorenzo Arredondo, Hon. Michael Sarafin, and preceded in death by Vange Angelos. Judge Paras graduated from Horace Mann High School of Gary IN, in 1968. He received his bachelor's degree from Valparaiso University in 1974 and his law degree from Birmingham School of Law in 1980 and began a successful personal injury law practice. Judge Paras served as the Judge of the Lake Circuit Court from 2011 to 2016. Before his service as Circuit Court Judge, he served as the Judge of the Merrillville Town Court from 1996 to 2011 and was the first judge to ever preside in that court. He also served as the Probate Commissioner of the Lake Circuit Court from 2006 to 2011 and as a Referee in the Gary City Court from 1986 to 1996. As the Judge of the Lake Circuit Court, Judge Paras presided over some of the most notable and complex civil cases in Lake County. His ruling of July 2014 that the Indiana "right-to-work" law was unconstitutional was greatly appreciated by the citizens of Lake County because it protected the rights of working men and women. Judge Paras also ruled that the Lake County precinct consolidation law was unconstitutional and, in another case, ordered that a juvenile court courtroom remain open in the City of Gary to ensure that all citizens of Lake County had access to the courts. Judge Paras viewed his judicial service as a privilege and he greatly enjoyed serving as a judge. He served the people of Lake County with compassion and integrity and fairly applied the law equally to all those who appeared before him to promote justice. Judge Paras was a member of the Indiana Judges Association, the Indiana Bar Association and Lake County Bar Association. During the course of his career, he received countless awards and recognitions. Funeral Service will he held on Thursday, September 20, 2018 at 10 a.m. at SS. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 8000 Madison St., Merrillville, IN with Rev. Ted Poteras and Rev. George Pappas officiating. Friends may visit with Judge Paras's family on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 from 1:00-8:00 p.m. at BURNS FUNERAL HOME, 10101 Broadway, Crown Point, IN with a 1:00 p.m. Trisagion Service. Interment at Ridgelawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Cutting Edge Foundation, dedicated to providing funding for revolutionary surgical procedures and research to advance the art of surgery, founder Dr. Enrico Benedetti. www.thecuttingedgefoundation.org or 401 N. Wabash Ave, 44A, Chicago, IL 60611. www.burnsfuneral.com