Nick Vakakis

All of us remember my dear father for the strength of his hands, the strength of his voice and the strength of this faith.

His identity started taking shape at birth on January 11, 1937, to his father Kostantinos and mother Ekaterini, hard working land owners from Konteika on the island of Samos. His parents were people who represented old world ideals of honest work, unwavering belief in God, respect of elders, hospitality, duty to family, and a proud identity. Nick told his personal story many times over the years, and it always started at the age of 12; the age when he took his place beside his father and assumed equal responsibility for the family’s fields, and vineyards, and olive groves, and expansive gardens that provided generously for the family of four children of whom Nick was the eldest. Days were long for Nick as a young adult, and his routine was defined by the agricultural seasons, and the jobs that each season demanded; the best tobacco could only be harvested early in the morning, so his days began at 4 am, and the best work was always done. This work ethic became the strength of his hands that provided so generously for his own family in the years that followed. It was with so much pride and joy that he invited his children and his son-in-law to the lands of this youth in the summer of 2008. He shared with us his small natural empire of green fields, and we drank olive oil and ate grapes from the trees and vines he planted as a small boy with his father; he planted seeds that grew to be strong and produced impressive yields. As a man, he was as strong and as grounded as the products of all his hard work.

Tonight is the one and only occasion that my father is present in this church and his sweet and powerful voice is not filling the space with the harmonious hymns that even these great walls have come to expect. His love of Byzantine music began as a young boy and he quickly became known for a voice that commanded attention, but that was always gentle and smooth. He hit every note with ease and precision because the music came from a man whose conviction and faith rang deep from within. He married his true love Sevasti on June 15, 1969, they had a little daughter, Katerina, and came to a new land to start a new life in Vancouver on the 5th of February, 1974. Despite having no language skills in this place, and arriving to snow-covered highways and busy roads from the tranquil blue of the warm Mediterranean, his constant strength created for him and his family a life to be proud of. He became a part of a new community where he was cherished, became the neighbour that everyone knew and loved, and planted here in Vancouver a new grapevine that hearkened of home. In all his journey of success and challenge, he derived both great pleasure and comfort from his music, and those hymns, that went on forever, became his second heartbeat, and kept his faith strong and his strength intact. The night that he took his last breath, he did so following a prayer and a hymn that he sang with his dear son Angelo, who helped him this time to carry the tune, whose own voice was as pure as his father’s, and whose own strength derived from the man who was losing his.

Dear Dad, you’re leaving us heart-broken, but with the strength that flowed though you. Your presence is in the homes you built for us, in the sayings that echo from your grandmother Eirini, in your hands that were marked until just recently of your hard work and devotion, and in your voice that will leave music and faith in our hearts forever. It was our privilege to care for you when you needed us, because these last seven months were just a small fraction of time when we could carry you and honour the devotion that you showed us for all the years of our lives. Say Hello to Mommy, enjoy the sweetest grapes of all, rest your blessed and tired hands, and continue to look down on us and give us your strength as you always have. We will miss you and love you forever.