Dr. Nicholas D. Matsakis

Matsakis, Dr. Nicholas D. age 95, at rest December 9, 2009. Beloved husband of 64 years to Theodora Matsakis; loving father to Aphrodite Matsakis, Demetrios (Cindy) Matsakis and Elias (Joanne) Matsakis; adored grandfather of Theodora (Steve), Magdalena (Marc), Niko (Emily), Kalliroi, Nicholas (Terri), Christopher and Antigone; cherised great-grandfather to Sophia and Magdalena, Rosario, Peter and Alexander; loving son to his deceased parents Demetrios and Sophia Matsakis; beloved brother to his sisters-inlaw Sophia Gorman and Victoria Matsakis; his deceased siblings Constantine Matsakis and Kalliroi Livadiotis; loving unlce to their children. Born in Canonsburg, PA, the son of a coal miner, he spent his childhood on his ancestral island of Karpathos, Greece. After graduating from the seminary on Cyprus, he returned to the United States in 1932 during the heart of the depression. He graduated from Washington University School of Dentistry in 1940 and later enlisted into the US Army during WWII where he achieved the rank of Major. He enjoyed a successful dentistry practice well into his eighties. He was a pioneer of organic gardening. For more than 50 years, he served as the Chairman of the Justice for Cyprus Committee of Greater St. Louis. In 1969, he was appointed Honorary Consul for the Republic of Cyprus by President Nixon. He was a founding member of the Hellenic Spirit and a proud member Order of AHEPA, and received the AHEPA Medal of Freedom in 2005. In 2007, he received the Order of the Phoenix Medal; the highest civilian honor awarded by the government of Greece for his many humanitarian and community efforts. As a former Greek school teacher, he was especially pleased at being a founding donor and advocate for the creation of the endowed chair for Greek Studies at the University of Missouri at St. Louis. Services: Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, December 13, 2009 at LUPTON CHAPEL, 7233 Delmar Blvd., University City, MO, 314-721-1870 (Trisagion Memorial Service will be at 4:30 p.m.) The Funeral will be held at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 4967 Forest Park Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108 at 11 a.m. on Monday, December 14, 2009. In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, the family requests that donations be made to the Justice for Cyprus Committee of Greater St. Louis, c/o Michael Tsiaklides, 8420 Delmar Blvd., Suite 303 A, St. Louis, MO 63124 or to the Nicholas and Theodora Metsakis Hellenic Culture Center University of Missouri St. Louis Center for In ternational Studies, 366 Social Sciences Building, One University Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63121