Terry A. Poriotis

Born in 1946 in New York City to Kathryn and Stamati Poriotis, Terry grew up in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He attended Stratford Military Academy in New Jersey and later, the Scotland School for Veterans' Children in Chambersburg, PA. He graduated from Temple University with a degree in accounting and economics. Terry and Gail met at Garden State Hospital in Marlton, NJ, where he was vice president of finance and she was director of education. They married in 1979. They had one son Michael. They relocated several times and finally settled in Grand Prairie, TX, in 1990.

In his professional life, Terry worked in financial management for corporate and nonprofit health care organizations. He put his financial analysis and planning expertise to good use in the planning and budgeting of St. John’s annual Mid-Cities Greek FoodFest.

Terry served on the St. John’s Parish Council from 2010-2011. He also was the auditor for the parish for several years. His dedication to St. John’s was ceaseless. Despite health issues, he was constantly coming up with ideas for fundraising, for Taverna Night speakers/entertainment and promotional ideas for the festival. Larry Leeders, Leo Alexander and Terry could often be found prepping for the months leading up to festival as well as spending the weeks after taking stock of inventory.

Cooking food, especially Greek cuisine, was a passion for Terry. His family says his spanakopita and pastitio (made with turkey for LeShay) were amazing.

Terry, as Gail notes, was proud of his Greek heritage and Orthodox faith, and relished the opportunity to share it with others. Like the patriarch Gus in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, everything in life had a Greek root.