Nikos L. Kapetanakis

Mr. Nikos (Nick) Kapetanakis, died Monday morning January 30th at 4:37 AM at the age of 86, with his wife, two sons and their wives at his side. He died at Methodist Hospital-West Houston of complications which arose from chronic circulatory and respiratory ailments developed in the latter part of his life.

He leaves his wife Evangelia, his son Chris and his wife Paola, his son Leonidas and his wife Susie, and five grandchildren, Evangelia, Nikolas, Alexandros, Stephanos and Andreas as well as numerous nieces and nephews in Greece and Houston.

Nick was born in Thessaloniki Greece to Leonidas and Penelope Kapetanakis. He lived in Greece until 1967 at which point he moved his family to the USA and became a resident of New York City later moving to Houston, Texas in 1977.

In his early years Nick and his family endured the WWII Nazi occupation of Greece. He helped support his family through those trying times by working in a bakery and while doing so also participated in the Greek resistance movement -all at the tender age of 16. After the war was over Greece experienced a violent civil war against Communist led insurgents supported by the Soviet Union. Nick fought in that war as a member of the Hellenic Navy. He has been fighting the good fight ever since. Patriotism was always an integral part of his life--first for Greece and then--equally-for America, his adopted country but one he cared for just as deeply.

In the 1950‟s Nick joined the family construction and architectural plaster business and eventually became a master craftsman and co-owner of the business. He married Evangelia Theodorakopoulou in 1956 and they soon had 2 sons, the first (Leonidas) born in 1957 and the other (Christos) in 1962. He decided to leave Greece at the invitation of his sister Eleni and her US citizen husband, Thanasis who were living in NYC. The family moved to NYC in 1967 where Nick (at the age of 42-who did not know a word of English upon arrival) begun working in a well known decorative plaster business -starting out in a minimal wage entry level position. He soon learned English, earned quick promotions, became the plant foreman, worked in the restoration of historic buildings including the Waldorf Astoria -and eventually was offered ownership in the company-- all within four years of his first day on the job. He decided to start his own cabinet making and small construction company instead and did that successfully until 1976 where a childhood friend invited him to Texas to start a new company in the home building and cabinet making business. Ever-ready for a new adventure and challenge he fell in love with Texas and it‟s entrepreneurial, pioneering spirit and moved his business and family enthusiastically to Houston. He was the epitome of the man who was not born in Texas--but got here as quickly as he could--he loved everything about it.

Nick was always an outdoorsman and hunter as well a hard working entrepreneur and he took to Texas like a duck to water. He spent the next part of his life building one of the most successful architectural millwork companies in Houston and the State (QWI-Quality Woodwork Interiors Inc.)-- performing the millwork for numerous architectural landmarks including MD Anderson Cancer Center, Methodist Hospital, St. Luke‟s Texas Heart Institute, The Harris County Civil Courthouse, the Houston, New Orleans and Brownsville Federal Courthouses, the US Embassy in Moscow, the National Archives Building in WDC, the Texans‟ NFL stadium and many other notable projects.

Throughout his life Nick was a strong supporter of the Greek Orthodox Church in his community and donated much of his time and money to various church projects and ministries as well as other charities and good causes. One of his main passions was helping new parishes get started and he often donated

his and his company‟s time to building new church facilities. As a master craftsman in his own right-he stayed active after he retired by donating and building church icon screens, special doors and other „one of a kind‟ projects for various parishes in Houston and Austin--often doing much of the work himself. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese recognized Nick‟s service by awarding him the Medal of St. Paul--one of its highest honors--in 2006. Nick was not very vocal about his faith--he lived his faith well however and he deeply believed in helping others and doing good works-- “I will show thee my faith by my works”-James 2:17,18 was one of his favorite verses in the Bible.

Nick retired from his various business positions in 1991 but remained active as a board member and advisor. With his wife Lina, they began to spend the summers in Vouliagmeni, Greece a beautiful resort area outside of Athens, and to travel around the USA, Africa and Europe.

Mr. Kapetanakis was a rare person whose compassion, generosity and gregarious disposition endowed him with many true friends in both the USA and Greece. He was loved deeply by not only his close family but by many friends, employees and extended family who sought him out for his advice, support and companionship throughout his life. As he became older one of his few regrets was that most of his close friends had passed--and as a strong Christian believer- he looked forward to meeting them again in a “better place”.

Nick loved nature and the outdoors and he camped, fished and hunted as often as he could throughout his life. While work and family obligations often did not allow it in his younger years-he made up for it after he retired--acquiring a small hunting ranch in the Texas Hill Country and taking multiple trips to Africa where he hunted all the African big game successfully including Lion, Leopard, Cape Buffalo and many other species. He was an outstanding hunter but was also conservationist often donating to conservation societies and causes that promote and protect wildlife.

Mr. Kapetanakis health begun to deteriorate in the last 2-3 years of his life and while that made it harder for him to pursue his outdoor activities he made up for it by spending more time with his children and grandchildren and as always--sharing good and bad times and being there whenever and however they needed him. He always offered a kind word, a “hand-up” and an example of how life should be lived: “Living Life to the Fullest” was not just a „slogan‟ for Nick-it was a way of life he embraced until the last moment.

In closing, Nick‟s life was not always easy--in fact it was often extremely difficult. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed by Nazis, starvation and disease in Greece during the WWII occupation; fighting in a civil war sometimes meant you were fighting your neighbor-or friend; life in Greece was hard after the war; moving to a new country and making minimum wage in NYC -and supporting a family is no one‟s idea of fun; times were not always „rosy‟ in Texas; and if you have ever faced a charging buffalo or lion -or even if you haven‟t--you can imagine that it is not for the faint hearted. During all those trying times Nick stood out as a man of Faith, a man who put his God, Country, Family and Friends first, a man of strong morals and principles, tough and uncompromising sometimes-- but never unkind or uncaring. He stood out as a man who lived his life to the fullest but also as one who lived it well and did his part to leave this world a little better than he found it. Those who know Nick well will agree that something James Dean said fits him well: “Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today”. Carpe Diem was not just an aphorism for him--It was a way of life.

He dreamed big dreams, lived a good life--and he will live forever in our memory. God Bless his soul and may he Rest in Peace.