Rev. Fr. Constantine John Raptis

December 22, 1927 – March 31, 2017

“I am ready to meet my maker anytime the Lord calls on me…I’ve lived my life straight …I believe in the Resurrection,” are words spoken with conviction throughout his long life by Rev. Fr. Constantine J. Raptis, 89, beloved spiritual teacher, who passed away peacefully on March 31 with his wife of 64 years at his side in Las Vegas. May his Memory be Eternal! He will be remembered by those blessed to know him as a man of great faith, love, humor, compassion, patience and wisdom. He described himself first as a priest, then husband and father to three children and two grandsons.

Born in Campbell, OH, the eldest of the three to John (Smaragdakis) Raptis and Maria (Sisoes) Billis, who immigrated to America from Kalymnos, Dodecanese, Greece and Halicarnassus (Bodrum), Turkey.

Throughout high school (Campbell, OH) he worked at odd jobs in pharmacies, restaurants and shining shoes. On weekends he joined his father to work in industrious Youngstown, OH steel mills throughout World War II. Raptis excelled in his studies and in football and wrestling. Upon graduation in 1945, he and his sister, Katherine, visited Tarpon Springs, FL., for the January 6 Epiphany feast day, where he recognized and told her of his calling to the priesthood and of his vision to return to this small town to serve at its parish. That fall, Raptis enrolled at the Greek Orthodox Theological Institute (Pomfret, Conn.) and completed at Holy Cross Theological Seminary in Brookline, MA. with the honor of salutatorian Class of 1951. Upon graduation, he interned at St. Paul in Hempstead, Long Island, NY, where he met and married Evonne (Evanthia) Pantason in June 1952.

Raptis was ordained a deacon that year in Hempstead and one week later he was ordained a presbyter in Ambridge, Penn. Within two weeks, his first assignment was to the Church of Zoodochos Peghe in Martins Ferry, OH, where he served until 1955 when he was called to the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tarpon Springs, just as he envisioned 10 years earlier. Raptis organized and officiated at the next twelve Epiphany services, whose parish regularly hosted emirate Archbishop Iakovos, who marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King in Selma. In 1967, he was assigned to the Annunciation parish in Sacramento, Ca. where he served for nine years.

In 1975, Raptis took a leave of absence to pursue his interest in construction, envisioning expansion in future Orthodox Church building programs. While employed as a superintendent with AG Spanos Inc., he continued to serve parishes without full-time pastors. In the 1980s, Raptis served at St. John the Baptist (Salinas) and St. George (Fresno), where he first retired in 1992. Fr. Raptis continued to officiate at small parishes in the diocese in Great Falls, MO., Pueblo, Co., and until 2016 at his home parish of St. John the Baptist in Las Vegas, NV.

For the past 18 years, Raptis, as one of its early members, served the Retired Greek Orthodox Clergy Association of America (RCA), whose emphasis is benevolence. In 1991, he began as its western states representative, then president and coordinator of a newly formed “Chats with Older Brothers Program” at Holy Cross/Hellenic College (Brookline) for students to share in the vast experiences of senior priests.

Throughout his 65-year ministry, he served on the Archdiocesan Council (New York); as a member of the General Assembly National Council of Churches (Cleveland, OH); Western Diocesan Board Delegate (San Francisco); Vice President of Trinity School for Children (Yucaipa, Ca.); a lifetime honorary member of Guadalupe Homes (San Bernardino, Ca.); Vicar of the Central Valley (San Francisco); established the Mission Church of St. Andrew (San Luis Obispo, Ca.); Board Member of the St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center (Fresno, Ca.); Board Member of the International Orthodox Christian Mission Center (IOCC) (St. Augustine, Fl.).

In his civic duties, Fr. Raptis served as Chaplain at the University of Florida (Gainesville); University of Tampa; Raiford Prison (FL); and Folsom Prison (CA). In 1968, Raptis was the first Greek Orthodox priest confirmed by the California State Legislature to serve as Chaplain of the Senate during the term of then Governor Ronald Reagan. He also served on the Florida Welfare Board; Director of the Sacramento Council of Churches, and Advisory Board Member for the Sacramento Housing Authority.

Fr. Raptis, and the love of his life, Evonne, married in 1952 and have three children, Billie Ann (Bill Powell) (El Dorado Hills, CA), John Raptis (Colorado), Maria Raptis (Huntington Beach, CA) and two grandsons, Anthony and Costa.

A Trisagion (Thrice Holy) memorial service will be held on Tuesday, April 4, 2017 at 6 pm for friends and 7 p.m. prayers at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, 5300 So. El Camino Road, Las Vegas, NV 89119. On Wednesday, April 5, the 11 a.m. funeral will be proceed by a Liturgy at 9 a.m., followed by a Makaria meal of remembrance at the same church site in Las Vegas. A graveside service will be held among family and friends on Tuesday, April 11, 2017 at 11 a.m. at Cycadia Cemetary in Tarpon Springs, FL., followed by a Greek-style meal, which he planned in advance of his passing. This made him happy and grateful to know that his family and dear friends will honor his memory to celebrate “my new journey that I will embrace when called.” Arrangements can be found at Palm Eastern Mortuary (Las Vegas) at palmeastern.com and Dobies Funeral Home (Tarpon Springs) at dobiesfuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, the Raptis family requests donations to be made in Father Raptis’ memory to the church Building Fund, St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, 5300 So. El Camino Road, Las Vegas, NV 89119.