The late Protodeacon is the father of the Midwest Chancellor, Archpriest Paul Jannakos. His Eminence Archbishop Daniel, along with the clergy and faithful of the diocese express their most sincere condolences Fr. Paul and his entire family.
Protodeacon Nicholas P. Jannakos was born into a family of Greek immigrants (from Volos-Pelion Greece), in East St. Louis Illinois on September 21st, 1932. Upon graduation from High School he served in the Army during the Korean War. After his discharge, he studied at St. Louis University and graduated with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering.
In 1959 he was hired by Martin-Marietta and moved his young family to Golden, Colorado were he lived for the next 45 years. During his career as an engineer he also worked for Coors Brewery, Ball Container Corporation, Sterns-Roger Engineering, and Rockwell Aerospace. He loved hiking in the Rocky Mountains with family and friends, and was an avid reader of Orthodox theology.
In 1973, while working with Sterns-Rogers on a contract at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver he met Fr. Michael Margitich, a chaplain on the base. Fr. Michael invited him to attend an OCA parish in the area, after which he eventually joined St. Herman’s Orthodox Church in Littleton, Colorado with his family, under the pastoral care of Fr. Andrew Harrison, with whom he remained life-long friends, along with + Fr. Dragan Filipovic and Fr. James Worth. In October of 1993 he was ordained to the holy diaconate by His Grace, Bishop +Tikhon of San Francisco, and served at St. Herman’s until 2005, when he moved to Albuquerque New Mexico, where he was blessed to serve with + Fr. George Sondergaard and Fr. Nikolay Miletkov.
He was a loving husband to his wife Elizabeth (Sharos)Jannakos for 69 years; loving brother to + Charitona (Chona) (Jannakos) & + Theodosius (Ted) Millas;+Gregory & Sue Jannakos, and George & Pat Anastas; loving father to the Archpriest Paul & Protinica Michelle Jannakos, Mark & Jenifer Jannakos, Mary Beth (Jannakos) & Daniel Chumney; loving grandfather of 10 grandchildren; loving great-grandfather to 7 great-grandchildren; many dear cousins, nephews, and nieces.
May Protodeacon Nicholas’ memory be eternal!
