Chris would tell you that he was born lucky. It began with the good fortune to be born on July 6, 1930, in what he considered the finest city in the world, Fresno, California. His parents, Panayiota Choppelas and Angelo Rockas, had thoughtfully provided Chris with an older sister, Mary, and a membership in the St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Fresno, where Chris was a parishioner for his entire life.
Graduating from Fresno High School in 1948, Chris attended the University of California, Berkeley, for both his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (1952) and his Juris Doctorate, (1955). The seven years spent in Berkeley gave rise to a lifetime’s worth of stories, including his tales of selling shoes in downtown Oakland, serving in the Army ROTC, and acting as a Greek translator for a bank. It was also during college that Chris read Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead, the book that he described as “the most influential in my life.”
Chris practiced law in Fresno for 52 years, 49 of which were as a solo practitioner. He served the Fresno County Bar Association as a board member for 32 years, and as its President in 1978. Chris loved being part of the legal community of Fresno. In his retirement, Chris received the 2003 Bernie E. Witkin Award for his dedication to the legal profession from the Bar Association. He wrote columns for the Fresno County Bar Journal recalling stories from the past that may or may not have been entirely accurate. Chris attributed some of the success of his long career to the fact that in over five decades, he only had four legal assistants: Virginia Oberg, her daughter Esther Beck, Theresa Hanville, and Martha Waller.
Always proud of his Greek heritage, Chris was an active member of the service organization, American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (“AHEPA”). He served twice as the President of the Sons of Pericles. He also served as a District Governor and as a Supreme Counselor for AHEPA at the national level.
A lifelong member of St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church, Chris served on countless committees, worked at the food festivals, and was parish president in 1974 and again in 1977. In 1988, St. George’s awarded Chris the Father of the Year Award, and in 1993 the Church bestowed the “Georgie Award” upon Chris for his service to the community.
Perhaps the luckiest thing that ever happened to Chris was when he met Helen Andrea Rotous, M.D. at an AHEPA dance in 1959. Chris and Dr. Helen were married on April 16, 1961, in Sacramento, and were separated only by her death on December 11, 2020. Chris and Dr. Helen’s children were as academic as their parents. Panayiota earned an M.B.A. and Andreas followed in Chris’s footsteps to become a lawyer. Chris and Dr. Helen had many adventures, including travelling to England, France, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Portugal, Russia, Israel, Italy, Spain, China, Turkey, Crete, Cyprus, and Greece. Wherever they were, you could find them leading a Greek dance line.
Chris was lucky to have had many wonderful friendships, including a lively group of gentlemen who had breakfast together every Saturday for many years. While Chris was fortunate to live independently in his beloved Fresno until the last few weeks of his life, the family would like to thank all those who helped Chris in his final days, and especially Joyce Ruiz.
Chris is survived by his daughter Panayiota (Patti) McCloskey, son Andreas (Andy) Rockas and his wife Danielle Guard, and three grandchildren, Grant McCloskey, Nicole McCloskey, and William (Bill) Rockas.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the St. George Greek Orthodox Church located at 2219 N. Orchard St., Fresno, CA 93703.
A Visitation for Chris will be held at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, 2219 N Orchard Street, Fresno, CA 93703 on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 from 9:00 to 10:00 AM followed by a Funeral Service at 10:00 AM.
Following the Funeral Service at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, there will be a Committal Service at Fresno Memorial Gardens, 175 S. Cornelia Ave., Fresno, California 93706.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.whitehurstsullivan.com for the Rockas family.
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