Aristotle Theodore Nicolaides

Aristotle Theodore Nicolaides, born 1st September 1931 in Jerusalem, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, 28th, October 2026, at his home in Athens, GA, surrounded by his wife and three kids. He was 95 years old, really hoping for 100.

He is preceded by the death of his parents, Theodore and Meropy, and his siblings, Euripides and Aristea.

Ari will be deeply missed, by his wife, Martha, his kids, Aliki, Katia, Theo, his in-laws, Cecil, David, Melissa (spouses of his three children) and his two grandchildren, Maya and Nicolas.

Ari was a loving father and husband, world traveler, lover of food, dance, taking adventures and ensuring his kids could swim like no other, enjoy life, and understand our traditions and heritage. We are Greeks of Asia Minor, so really nomads. Our fathers work took us around the world. From Indianapolis, to Crete, to Athens, Greece, and finally to Singapore where all three kids went to school and graduated high school. We truly lived a full life, and our dad made it possible.

Ari started his life in Jerusalem between two world wars in a place seeped with culture, traditions and peoples of many faiths and lineages. He lived a life that included his parents, siblings, and extended family, running around Jerusalem and learning to swim in the Dead Sea. He lived through world wars and land wars, losing his family homes during the first of what would become many wars between 1946 - 1948. He survived by his wits and family. It took him longer than most to finish high school due to bombs erupting in his elementary and secondary schools and homes. He attended whatever school was left standing after a bomb went off -Quaker, French, Greek, and American schools. He spoke, Greek, Arabic, English, and French. He graduated from high school at 20 and received a scholarship to come to America to study at a small Quaker college, and after 6 months of freezing cold in Buffalo NY, he looked for warmer climates and was accepted at Duke University. Not a bad place to be. Ari completed two master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from University of Washington. Started to work with Boeing and then with Allison Gas Turbines a division of General Motors, that eventually was bought by Rolls Royse where he ended his long career as a Gas Turbine advisor to countries all over the Middle East, Southern Europe, and Asia where he was a pioneer in opening markets in the 70’s,80’s and 90’s. He retired in 2001.

Ari married our mom, Martha Nicolaides (neé Tzoros), in 1968. One could say it was an arranged marriage. The families knew each other in Jerusalem and Jordan, dad wanted to start a family and, with some encouragement from his mother and sister, he started some correspondence with Martha. She accepted his proposal and came to the USA in 1968. They got married in Indianapolis, and quickly had two kids, Aliki, and then Katia. We moved to Greece in 1972 and Theo was born in 1975. Finally, a boy, who would carry the name. Ari, loved us all and ensured we always were treated equally. If he bought one person one thing, then all three would have that one thing. He was fair and equitable. He was also stubborn. He had a hard time letting go of the past and some traditions of girls and boys in the family. His girls helped him see the ways of equality :).

We had a wonderful life in Greece. And then at the end of summer 1979 we moved to Singapore. So not to disturb our holiday in Samos, dad sold our stuff, packed our bags, met us in Samos and told us the news. Dad was an engineer and solved problems and found the most efficient ways to get things done. Some of us were not that happy.

We arrived in Singapore and we began a 21-year adventure. Each year we would return to Greece to visit our family and along the way my father would choose a new country for us to stop over and explore. We lived in great homes and were very comfortable. Ari and Martha made sure their kids did not forget they were guests in the country, and we respected Singapore which meant that we became part of the Singapore community. Ari and Martha were very involved in the National Kidney Foundation, The Opera, The Arts, The Ballet in Singapore. Ari traveled for work a lot, which meant he would come back with the most amazing gifts, stuffed animals and the first ever Sony Walkmans for us all.

But one of his favorite things to do while traveling was walking around, meeting people talking about their lives and finding interesting antiques, and jewelry. He loved to find the most unusual rings, bracelets, you name it. And then he started designing jewelry and found the right person in India to make it for one of the women in his life, Martha, Aliki and Katia, and his mother and sister while they were alive. He finally retired in 2001 moved back to the USA, to be close to his three kids and the new grandkids from Katia and David: Nicolas and Maya. As well as his mother and sister. Once back, he did his gardening and started to design and make silver jewelry as a hobby.

Ari was a wonderful Papou to Nicolas and Maya and to their friends. He loved playing with them and taking them for walks (and getting lost in our neighborhood in Bernal Heights, and calling Katia at the office saying, “hey, where am I? I can’t find your house”). One thing Ari passed along to his grandkids was his love of food and adventure. Our father’s most favored dishes were Knafe (Palestinian dessert) Galaktomboureko (Greek dessert) Spanakopita, and warat dawalleh (stuffed grapeleaves) and Imambaldi (slow cooked eggplants). He taught Maya the art of Knafe, and she perfected it. And will now be our Knafe maker.

Ari made us laugh, he had a kind heart and everyone who met him was mesmerized by him and his stories There was always a party to be thrown to bring friends and family together. Ari will be missed but never forgotten.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are requested to the Children’s Oncology Group at https://childrensoncologygroup.org/donate/

Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.