Matthew William Panagakos

He was born in New Jersey and graduated from Central Commercial and Technical High School. He moved to North Carolina when his son was transferred there for work in 1992.

He was the sixth of seven children born to Vasilios and Stassia (Tessie) Panagakos just seven weeks before the stock market crash that started the Great Depression. As he would say, "There wasn't much money, but there was always enough love to go around." Matt lived his life valuing things that money cannot buy: family, fun, and life itself.

The horror of serving as a foot soldier on the front lines of the Korean War strengthened him without hardening his heart. To shield others, the only comment he would make about his war experience was that every day in Korea he thought he was going to die, so each day he lived was a precious gift to be lived fully.

After returning from the war, he never wanted to leave the United States again (though he did go on a bus trip with friends that included Nova Scotia--He was not happy months later when he learned it was part of Canada.).

Matt's work never defined him; he used his mechanical prowess and intellect (both of which he passed on to his children) to support his family. He worked as a mechanic for Otis Elevator (30 years), for Hillyer Machine Tool Company (3 years), and for I.T.T. Avionics (7.5 years).

He retired early to care for his wife Bertha. His gift for precision was poured into his care for her. When he helped her in the kitchen, he took meticulous notes about the amounts she used in every recipe. His estimates were so precise that her children are able to recreate the flavors of their favorite dishes, including variations that were caused by different ingredients on hand.

He celebrated his 95th birthday in September of 2024 with four parties, each including (at his request) a "chocolate, chocolate, chocolate" cake. Every effort was made to ensure that each cake was more spectacular than the last.

He was predeceased by his parents; all his brothers, sisters, and their spouses; some of his nieces and nephews; his first love and wife of 41 years, Angeliki (Bertha, a.k.a., Bert); his first girlfriend and, later in life, his fiancée of over two decades, Frances (Fran) Williams, and many of his friends.

Known for his indomitable spirit, sense of humor, and his gentle manner, he will be deeply missed by his children: Bill and Denise, Aris and Kim, and Theresa (Terry) and Nancy; his 21 nieces and nephews, and their spouses; his many, many grandnieces and grandnephews; his friends at Brookdale North Raleigh Independent Living and at Brookdale MacArthur Park Assisted Living; and by all who knew him and loved him over his 95 years.

His advice to those he left behind is to "Remember I'm 95 years old. I've lived a good life. We've had lots of fun. Remember the good times."

In his unpublished autobiography, "In My Eyes," Matt wrote, "Many people search to find their ancestry or 'roots', but they will never know their (relative's) inner-most feelings. I often wondered... what do my children really think of me?"

Well, Matty, here it goes! If actions speak louder than words, who you are speaks louder than even your entire life of loving actions. The love you poured out into the world was transformational to all who encountered you. Your smile lit up a room and your charm had no off switch.

You lived fully, breathing in all the life around you and energizing your surroundings. You loved people profoundly and enjoyed being around them and being surrounded by activity.

Though you were a man of few words, when and how you said those words went straight to the heart. Your eyes sparkled with fun and a bit of mischief, which even your baseball cap could not hide. Your smile was infectious, and your charm never waned.

Truly to know you was to love you. May your memory be eternal.

A visitation for Matthew will be held Thursday, February 6, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 5000 Lead Mine Rd, Raleigh, NC 27612, followed by a funeral service at 11:00 AM. The service will be livestreamed at the following link, https://youtube.com/live/WHOa06lHqdo

Burial will take place on Friday, February 7, 2025 at 1:00 pm at Evergreen Cemetery, 4426 Central Ave. Charlotte, NC.

Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's Street, Raleigh is serving the Panagakos family.