John Zacharias Dracopoulos' Obituary
John Zacharias Dracopoulos October 20, 1916-August 15, 2016 God called home my superhero. John Zacharias Dracopoulos fell asleep in the Lord August 15 2016. Daddy grew up in in Gleefatha, Greece with his mother, grandmother, and sisters. Grandfather from time to time. He was 17 when he arrived in America on September 14, 1934. This was only the second time he saw his father, the first time was when he was 13. He stayed in Portland, Maine for 7 years working in his father’s diner and as a welder at the Bath, Me shipyards building Liberty Ships, at that time you had to stay in one place for 7 years to become a U.S. Citizen. He took English and American History in night school for those 7 years. He became a naturalized American Citizen December 1941. He was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corp in March 1942. He was sent from Ft. Dix, NJ to Miami, Fl. to Lowry Field, Co. to Keesler Field, Ms. this is where he met and married Julia (Lili) Abazzi in December 1945. Living in Miami, Virginia, and Dallas, TX where he opened and successfully ran several restaurants over the next fifty years. Besides restaurant business, he was very involved in the Greek Orthodox Church. He had been a cantor in the Greek Orthodox Church for close to 80 years and never took any pay. Over all those 80 years in the church, the countless number of Priests, Deacons, and Cantors he took under his wing to teach them what he had learned only the Lord knows. April of 1999 they moved to San Antonio, TX. the Church in Dallas Honored him with a dinner and gave him $10,000 for all his years of service in which Dad turned around and made an anonymous donation back to the church for $15,000. I don’t think too many people knew including Mom (well she does now) When he turned 92 he told me he had read the Bible in Ancient Greek three times and the he believes he understands it better in the Ancient Greek. At the age of 95 he went to the library checked out a copy of the Koran, to as he said see what these people are about, while he was there he also checked out a copy of the Torah because he says it all started with the Jewish people. Mom and Dad were married and WORKED together for 70 (SEVENTY) years. Survived by his younger sister, 4 children, 19 grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren and a myriad of individuals Daddy’s example touched. Dad never met a stranger. This is a very short eulogy, because there is not enough room on Facebook to list all the wonderful things this Great Man accomplished in his short 99 years. Daddy you will live in our hearts forever. This world is poorer today without him. May His Memory be Eternal. Service will be held on Friday, August 19, 2016 at 10 AM at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Dallas, TX. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to: St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church 2504 St. Mary’s Street San Antonio,TX 78212-3799 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 13555 Hillcrest Road Dallas,TX 75240 Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church 414 St. Stephens School Road Austin,TX 78746 Funeral arrangements have been entrusted into Restland Funeral home and Memorial Park, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75243.
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