Nicholas Paras, 55, of Tampa, passed away September 13, 2020. He was born and raised in Tampa, having attended St. John’s Episcopal Day School and Berkeley Preparatory School. While Head Chorister with St. John’s Episcopal Choir, he was hand-selected to sing a duet with a soprano from The Metropolitan Opera. While at Berkeley, he played football, basketball, and performed as a member of the drama club in musicals. He attended the University of Florida and was an avid Gator fan. Nicholas was Founder, President and CEO of Alpha Computing Solutions, formed in 1989. He was Co-Founder and President of Office 2 Office, LLC. Nicholas was a member of Ahepa, the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce, and the Centre Club. In the early part of his career, Nicholas developed software to track University of Florida building projects throughout the State of Florida. He was instrumental in forming the nationally recognized AutoCAD center at Erwin Technical Center where he was an instructor, having trained many area architects. While at Erwin, he also participated in the creation of Success Centers at Hillsborough County high schools. Nicholas loved music, football, basketball, movies, and enjoyed spending time with his friends and family. As a testament to his adventurous side, he also learned to fly. Nicholas was known for his warm spirit, infectious humor, and witty personality. He touched many with his good nature and love of others. His enduring love for his family and friends will eternally envelop and support them. He is preceded in death by Nick and Helen Paras, his paternal grandparents; John and Vassiliki Simitses, his maternal grandparents; and George Hettig, his father-in-law. Nicholas is survived by his wife, Marianne; his parents, Gus and Marina Paras; his mother-in-law, Hannelore Hettig; his sister, Elena Paras Ketchum; and his brother-in-law, Peter Ketchum. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 22nd from 6pm to 8pm with Trisagion Service at 7 pm at Blount Curry Funeral Home MacDill, 605 S. MacDill Ave, Tampa, FL. Funeral service will be held on Wednesday, September 23rd at 11am at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, 2418 W. Swann Ave, Tampa, FL. Interment will be held on Friday, September 25th at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens, in Ft. Pierce, FL.
