Alex Chakos

Alexander William Chakos passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Nov. 26 at Community Medical Center. He was born June 28, 1924 in Gary, Indiana and moved to Chicago, Illinois with his family during his childhood. He attended Crane Technical High School and later joined the Army Air Corp during World War II. He was stationed at Mathis Field for bombardier training, and met Joann Athanas while living in San Angelo. They were married at Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church on July 6, 1947. He attended Texas Tech University studying architecture, and they welcomed their daughter Pamela in 1950 while living in Lubbock.

After graduating from Texas Tech, Chakos worked for Mauldin & Ballard architects. The project of which he was most proud at this time was the design of the San Angelo Coliseum. While at that firm, he met his long-time friend and partner, Bob Zentner. In Jan. of 1959, he and Zentner opened their own architectural firm. In 1964, Marks Marcum joined the firm as a partner, when they became Chakos Zentner Marcum Architects. CZM was in business for over 40 years, responsible for the design and construction of many well-known buildings in the area, including several for Angelo State University, SAISD, and GTE, as well as Hemphill-Wells downtown (now the new public library) and Angelo Community Hospital. Before their retirement in 2005, two of their last projects were the San Angelo Visitor Center and the new Holy Angels Catholic Church.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Joann, and two brothers, Ted and Gus Chakos. Survivors include his siblings, Rose Treantafeles of Mt. Prospect, Illinois, and Fr. Jim Chakos of Athens, Greece; daughter, Pam Norton Medlin of San Angelo; grandchildren, Michael Norton of Little Rock, Akansas, and Alexis Norton of Dallas; and many nieces and nephews.

Chakos will be remembered by his many family members, friends, and acquaintances throughout the community as a kind, generous, and cheerful person who could find humor in all things. He was fond of saying that you have to find something to laugh about every day of your life.

A Trisagion Prayer Service is at 7:30 pm on Sunday at Johnson's Funeral Home Chapel. Funeral service is at 10:00 am on Monday at the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, with burial following at Fairmount Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers will be John Kouvelis, Chris Kouvelis, Sr. (in memoriam), John Kalaitzes, Tim Beys, Bob Zentner, and W. Marks Marcum (in memoriam).

The family expresses its sincere thanks and appreciation to the staff of Community Medical Center for their care. The family requests memorials be made to the Greek Orthodox Church, Salvation Army, or Kiwanis Club.