Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

July 11, 2021

CHARLOTTE – Christopher J. Pakuris, 80, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, July 11, 2021 in Charlotte, NC. He was born on January 22, 1941 in Providence, RI and grew up in Philadelphia, PA.

Chris met his love-at-first-sight lifelong soulmate, Katherine Pappas, when they were teenagers. Kathy and Chris married in 1962 in the St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Philadelphia. Their marriage of fifty-nine years was blessed with the birth of two daughters and five grandchildren. They have lived in Charlotte since 1992.

Chris was employed by the IBM Corporation in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He retired at the early age of forty-nine to devote the rest of his life to his family and church as well as voracious reading, oil painting, collecting music and videos, and traveling throughout the world with Kathy. His deep faith in God helped Chris survive kidney cancer and other health issues. For the past 15 years, he wrote an inspirational weekly spiritual message which was distributed to family, friends, and churches. In his writings, he often referred to the Lord’s Heavenly Kingdom and his desire to one day dwell there to reunite with his deceased loved ones.

Chris was preceded in death by his parents, John C. Pakuris and Joanna Tsopelas Pakuris, sister Carol Ann Pakuris Topakas, parents-in-law John T. Pappas and Elizabeth Karavassily Pappas, and son-in-law, Mark Hambleton. 

He is survived by his wife, Katherine; daughters, JoAnn Pakuris Graziano and Lisa Pakuris Hambleton; brother, Peter J. Pakuris, grandchildren; Rebecca Hambleton, Jennifer Hambleton, Angela Graziano Hunter, Christopher Hambleton, and Julia Graziano, son-in-law, Michael Graziano, brothers-in-law Athan Pappas, Manny Topakas, and Philip Ranieri, sisters-in-law Ronnie Pappas Ranieri, Elaine Pakuris Sobczak, and Rosalind Marino Pappas, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. 

The funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, July 16, 2021 at St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church, 5108 Kuykendall Road, Charlotte, NC 28270. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church. Funeral services will continue in Pennsylvania with a visitation on Tuesday, July 20, 2021 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM in the DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, 410 N. Church Street, West Chester, PA followed by the interment at Fernwood Cemetery in Lansdowne, PA.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church, P.O. Box 1513, Mooresville, NC 28115 or St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church, 5108 Kuykendall Road, Charlotte, NC 28270. 

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204; (704) 641-7606 and DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, 410 N. Church Street, West Chester, PA 19380. Online condolences can be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com or www.dellafh.com.