Terry Nick Karis

Terry (Sotiros) Nick Karis passed away peacefully on Nov. 4, 2024. Born in Kalamata, Greece in 1934 to Nick & Maria Kanakaris, Terry grew up in Tripoli, Greece, only to move to the US at the young age of 15, without his family or speaking English. He landed in Seattle and figured out how to make his way in this new life, soon graduating from Lincoln High School. His cousin offered him a job at Academy Press, where Terry worked his way up to buying the company, creating a successful family business lasting 64 years.

Terry fell in love with Hannah (Ann) McMeeken, marrying her in 1957. He was stationed in Alaska while serving in the US army, where they had their first child. They raised their family in Seattle and he somehow found time to coach kids’ soccer, take his daughter to skating lessons and umpire the boys’ baseball games. Terry & Ann were both avid golfers, enjoying annual golf trips around the US and were long-time members of Sand Point Country Club (where both Terry & Ann each made a hole in one!). Terry was active in many social clubs including Ballard Elks and the Greek fraternal organization AHEPA. They loved to travel, from Greece to Australia to Morocco to Vegas. But Terry’s heart was with his Greek community and St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox church. He was a generous man, helping fellow Greeks whenever he could, including sponsoring young Greek men to come to the US. Terry had a larger-than-life personality, was an entertaining storyteller, loved his family, his heritage, his church, his weekly luncheons with the Greek Papous, and he never missed a sporting event on TV.

Terry was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Demetri and George, sister Angelakoula. He is survived by his wife, Ann; his three children, Terri Hawdon, Nick (Nancy) Karis, Tony Karis; his sisters Georgene and Tula (both in Athens); grandchildren Michael, Nick, Sotiros, Anthony, Jack, Hannah & Jackie; great-grandchildren Tiegan & Cade; and many nieces and nephews in Greece.

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” - Pericles

A funeral service will be held Nov. 12, at 11am at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2100 Boyer Ave E.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church.