Peter M. Kalellis

Peter M Kalellis 97, entered eternal life on June 28, 2023, surrounded by his family-his beloved wife of 45 years, precious grown children and their spouses, and dear grandchildren. He always said he did not fear death because he would enter the presence of the Lord whom he loved and served his entire life; but he acknowledged that he often feared how his life's end would come. He fervently prayed it would not be by prolonged illness but rather would be peaceful, painless and without suffering, a Greek Orthodox Christian Liturgy petition. His prayers were answered. On Sunday, June 25th,, he and his wife celebrated forty-five years of marriage at A family luncheon, complete with love and laughter of grandchildren; it was graciously hosted by his daughter and son-in-law. Tuesday at noon, he swam at the Virginia Beach Recreation Center, a decades-long commitment he loved. But at 5:30 that same day, he suffered a harsh medication induced stroke, which brought his last breath only eighteen hours later, Wednesday night. This provided his family time to gather from near and far to comfort him through his last breaths. Though his absence is heart-breaking, all of us who loved and adored him are comforted by his peaceful passing. He will be with us forever in our hearts.
Born in Philadelphia on June 3, 1926 to Assimiki (Mike) Kalellis and Mersene (Malomytis) who came to America seeking a better life beyond the village poverty of Moria in Lesbos, a picturesque northern Agean Sea Island covered in olive trees. Alas, Mersene died when Peter was only two and a half. His father returned with Peter to Lesbos. He hoped to remarry and thus find a new mother for his son. Sadly for Peter, his father presented his new wife to Peter, telling him this was his real mother who had been delayed because she was hospitalized when they left America. This lie was the beginning of lonesome family life, despite the birth of half siblings; but it was his segue to the church where he found comfort from Panagia, the Virgin Mary and from beloved priest, Papavasili; his frequent attendance inspired a great desire to sing with the chanters the hymns of praise and liturgical melodies. The seeds of his priesthood were planted. As a youth, Peter was an enthusiastic Boy Scout who led his troop while playing a trumpet. His two top incisors interfered with his performance, so he agreed to have them removed-without novocaine. Such determination to overcome obstacles was characteristic of Peter throughout his life. One More Spring, Peter's first novel is also an autobiographical account of the Nazi atrocities, especially starvation, which he and his family and friends suffered and survived in Greece during teenage high school years. He wrote a prequel, The Phoenix--Winds of World War II, which also foreshadowed the suffering to come. These novels served as a catharsis to his recurring night terrors, which we now call PTSD; also it helped describe and illustrate the devastation of Greece during Haulocaust years. Once the war ended, the United States government invited American citizens and their entire family to return to America. In June of 1946, on the Marine Shark, Peter and his father, both US citizens, and his step mother and two half siblings, Vasiliki and Jimmy, left Lesbos and made the eleven-day voyage to America where he spent months of recovery with his mother's beloved sister Aunt Victoria and her family.
In his lifetime, both as a family man, and in his professional life of several career and major mission contributions, each aspect of his life embraced dedication and service to the Lord who taught him service to others. With great gratitude, he credited the Lord for wisdom and guidance and endurance and persistence to complete his endeavors, all of which nurtured his faith, self-discovery, kindness and compassion. His dedicated himself to Saint Paul, whom he called The Apostle of Reconciliation, who teaches us, "I can do all things through Jesus Christ, which strengthens me."
A graduate of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in Pomfret, Connecticut, and also Philadelphia Episcopal Theological Seminary where he earned his first Master's Degree, he served the Greek Orthodox Church as a deacon at St Nicholas in Newark, NJ; as a priest at St Demetrios in Jersey City, NJ; at Saint Sophia Cathedral in Los Angeles, CA, 1955-1966; and finally at Holy Trinity in Westfield, NJ, (1966-1974). Before ordination, he married Mary (Bourlotas) and fathered three children-- Mersene Stapp ( husband Charles Stapp), Michael Kalellis (wife Carolynn Reis) and Basil Kalellis. Grandchildren from this marriage are Andrew Stapp and Nicolette Craumer (wife of Eric Craumer). His two great grandchildren are Hudson and Lyla Craumer. All were cherished.
During these twenty-two years, his service to the church went far beyond the parish. Through his own company, Ecumenical Publications, he created Sunday School and adult education materials in several media-filmstips, 16 millimeter films, books, booklets, and recordings, all of which were innovative materials in the Greek Orthodox Church during the 50's, 60's and 70's. In 1971, he completed his Masters of Theology at Princeton University. One major project included the filming of a documentary of his risky journey to Istanbul where Peter interviewed Patriach Athenagoras, head of the Orthodox Church of North America, and South America. The film also including the history and architecture of Hagia Sophia, an Orthodox cathedral built by the Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, a structure held sacred by Orthodox Christians to this day, despite its desecration by Ottoman Turks in the fourteenth century, and eventual conversion to a museum and then a mosque in 2021. Peter's film, The Prophet of Reconciliation, connected the Church in America to its Patriarch and his modest dwelling in Halki in Turkey, much as Americans seek to connect to their Pope and the magnificent Vatican. He was among the very first priests who addressed the language barriers which the younger generations of the mid century faced while worshiping the Liturgy, which was celebrated primarily in Greek. Peter worked tirelessly to translate the Divine Liturgy authentically into English, and included English phonetics, explanations, and illustrations to promote understanding of the liturgical traditions and prayers, especially the sacrament of Holy Communion for the remission of sins and life everlasting. Over the decades this Liturgical guide filled the pews of many Orthodox Churches throughout the United States; and by 2001, it was in its thirtieth printing.
Peter's most God-driven mission to save lives, The Cosmas and Damian Heart Team Mission to Greece, began while he served at the Cathedral of Saint Sophia in Los Angeles, CA, and continued while serving at Holy Trinity Church in Westfield, NJ. Peter was deeply saddened by the loss of three out of four children, flown from Greece to Los Angeles to have open-heart surgery. Despite political obstacles, his unfailing persistence finally brought teams of fourteen open-heart surgeons at a time from Loma Linda University Hospital; they agreed to operate gratis, and to train the Greek doctors if airfare was provided. This enormous project included Peter's engaging the assistance of Aristotle Onassis and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for transportation on the Onassis Olympic Airways, as well as the dedicated chapters of the nation-wide Ladies Philoptochos (Friend of the Poor) Society of the Orthodox Church, which raised over 65,000 dollars to purchase and transport a heart-lung machine and Stryker Saw to Greece. With great team success led by Chief Cardiac Surgeon EllsworthWareham (a Blue Zone Octogenarian) hundreds of heart-damaged people were saved. After several team's visits, Greek doctors were eventually trained by the LomaLinda team. At Peter's instigation, Aristotle Onassis's will provided funding for The Onasion for Cardiac Surgery in Athens, a seven-floor, 300-bed hospital which performs more than 2,000 cardiac surgeries each year. From his heart broken sense of loss in California, a miraculous institution of healing is thriving today.
In 1974, Peter ended his service as a parish clergyman; but his pastoral missions continued through his individual psychotherapy practice, specializing in Marriage and Family Therapy. He completed clinical training for four years at the Smiley Blanton-Norman Vincent Peale Institute for Religion and Health in Manhattan, NY, and continued studies at Andover Newton Theological School, where he earned his Doctorate. Peter's doctoral disortation was published as Wedded or Wedlocked? As a therapist, he served families, couples, and individuals. By June 25, 1978, he married his beloved Panagiota (Patricia Goumas) who became his devoted champion and supporter for forty-five years. They lived 40 of those years in Mountainside, NJ, and spent final years in Virginia Beach Virginia. Pat credits him for his strong prayers and supplications to Christ and the Virgin Mary for healing from her five-year, critical journey through cancer. His devoted fourth child, daughter Katina (husband Peter Vassiliou) brought care and comfort and additional joyful years while living one mile apart in Virginia Beach, Virginia. These three grandchildren-Stacey, Peter and Victoria-lit his life with song and dance and barbecues and athletics. Often they would ask him questions about Sunday School teachings or soccer practices or about "the olden days."
Each of his four children and five grandchildren and two great grandchildren were precious blessings in his heart. Each of his offspring looked to him for guidance and shared festive meals, ouzo, and spirited Greek dancing until his 97th birthday on June 3, 2023. He was fondly greeted by nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews who lovingly valued his gifts.
He loved his encounters in counseling sessions and valued the privilege of supporting individuals through their emotional challenges and personal growth. His work inspired him to author psycho spiritual books such as Letting Go of Baggage, Restoring Yourself, and A New Self-Image.
During the 1970's and 80's, Peter served as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University training students in post-graduate preparation as counselors. During that time, he also was hired to write the Marriage and Family Therapist Training Curriculum, which provided students an avenue to the New Jersey State Licensing exam.
Characteristic of Peter's strong capacity to orchestrate the aforementioned projects, in 1991, he served a life-changing, month-long mission to Kenya and Uganda in Africa, accompanied by wife Pat who was a public school English teacher, and younger daughter, eleven year-old Katina. Their team of eleven prepared to serve and provide spiritual support to newly baptized children and adults. The response of African brothers and sisters embraced the team and gave far more in spirited worship with song and dance, while furthering their faith in Christ's teachings. They inspired him and his family to return to America and raise funds for desperately needed wells in Kenya.
During forty-four years of counseling, Peter's writing combined his psychological wisdom with spiritual nourishment for the soul. Titles included Finding God's Presence in Your Life, Care of the Soul, Virtues of the Soul, Prayer-An Intimate Journey, Becoming Ageless, and The Meaning and Purpose of Life. His final reflections-The Life That Jesus Promised, still sits completed on his desk in manuscript form. He was preparing himself to go to that life and often talked with both peers and younger people about that preparation.
In recent years, Peter wrote The Olive Picker-Pursuing Human Potential, a most appealing autobiography of ninety years from the age of three to ninety-three. Not only was his story told to share personal information, but also to provide thought-provoking reflections, which the reader could apply to his own growth. He encouraged each of us to write our own story.
As his years advance from 95-97 and the world shut down with the co-vid Pandemic, Peter's hope of visiting his beloved Greece one more time was upended. Besides visiting beloved relatives, he wanted to return to Samos where a chapel dedicated to Saint Fanourios particularly shows his lifelong conviction that all things are possible to those who believe in the Lord. In the 1990's he made his first visit to Samos and met a brother in Christ, Papageorgi. Peter was saddened by the crawling progress of construction of the St Fanourious chapel; he returned to America and wrote an article for the National Herald. The saint is recognized and beloved by many Orthodox Christians for his special ability to help people who seek to find things such as their path, or to find a lost object. Response to the article was immediate, as readers generously donated thousands of dollars to complete the chapel's construction. Peter's ongoing support of this project included personally urging our family to provide funds needed for the chapel's interior with icons, liturgical items, and furnishings.
In his last years, he reflected on his life's experiences and told stories of people who generously guided him through life, assisted him to accomplish his many goals which brought service to ease the suffering of others. His greatest asset was his relentless persistence to complete his goals with diligent use of his God-given energy and talents.
Along the way through life, Peter established friendships of enormous joy from clergy, beach friends, professional relationships, cousins, nieces and nephews; but above all, he treasured conversations with his family members. He kept in touch with dear friends and family often advising, "If you don't hear from someone, YOU be the one to reach out; otherwise, the relationship will subside and may be lost." He genuinely loved people with gentleness, forgiveness and humility, and supported their growth and encouraged their goals and their joys. He brought peace to troubled souls by leading them to a place of understanding that we are not ever alone, and that our Lord will carry us through our pain and sorrow, just as Jesus Himself suffered, but He defeated death for us, enabling us to rest eternally in the Glory of Our Father.
Just as he treated others, he gave self-love, scheduling time to swim and exercise and take an evening walk to keep healthy in body, mind and spirit to complete his goals, even the goal of entering eternal life without pain, sorrow, or suffering to a place of peace. In his life with Pat, he was a grateful husband and companion, a comforter, who loved her generously, and inspired her to provide for him the joys they shared. His family and devoted friends will seek to honor his passion to serve through our service to others. Glory to God.
Rest peacefully, dear Peter.
May his memory be eternal