Perry served in the armed forces. We honor that service here.
Perry A. Constas passed away on January 15, 2025 at the age of 94. He is survived by his loving wife, Athena, to whom he was married more than 70 years, and his brothers Charles Constas (Stella) and Lambro Constas (Genevieve, predeceased). Perry is also survived by his children George Constas and his wife Kim of Danville, CA, Christine Erickson and her husband Joseph of Andover, MA, and Mark Constas and his wife Wendy Millroy of Brooktondale, NY. He was very proud of his eight grandchildren, Alexandra Constas (husband Jack Spagnola), Athena Charles (husband Jean-Pierre), Christina Constas, Dimitri Erickson, John Constas (wife Samantha), Katharine Constas, Perry Hartquist (husband John), and Stacey Pawsey (husband Ben). Perry was delighted with his five great grandchildren Scotty, Cam, Lucy, Nikko, and Katherine Grace. He was also blessed with several brothers and sisters in law, cousins, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Anthony and Christine (Annasoulis) Constas and his sister Catherine Keches and her husband George.
Perry, named Paraskevas, was born on March 10, 1930, in Boston. He lived his entire childhood in several Dorchester neighborhoods and spoke fondly of his time in Savin Hill and Carson Beach. The Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Ruggles Avenue in Boston was the central point of connection in his life, as it was for many first-generation Greek Americans. In addition to attending church services, he was an active member of the church community where he met his beloved wife, Athena. Perry graduated from Boston English High School where his early intellectual interests were formed and where he excelled in track. After serving military duty in the Army, he attended Boston University where he earned his B.S. degree. He subsequently went on to complete his M.S. degree also at Boston University. He married Athena Soutsos in 1954 at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Boston. Following his university education, Perry dedicated his professional work to helping others realize their fullest potential. This included working with youth with disabilities for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and serving as the Director of Student Activities at the University of Chicago, Ultimately, he found his professional home in work that focused on human resources. He began his career in this field in the 1960s at General Electric, working on the Apollo Program. Perry ended his career in 2000 at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he served as the Director of Human Resources.
While his professional career across multiple fields spanned a period of nearly 50 years, his interests went far beyond his professional work (expansive and seemingly unbound). Running was a major part of his life. He participated in numerous road races of various lengths and won many trophies and medals. He followed a rigorous training schedule and completed ten Boston marathons with his best time of two hours and fifty-four minutes was recorded at the age of 52. He was a man of many passions, all of which were reflected by his love of family, love of life, love of learning, and love of God. Much of his passion, and a good deal of his conversations and reflections, were centered on understanding what it means to be human and particularly what it means to be a person of faith in a world marked by inhumanity. His unwavering commitment to the Orthodox Christian faith was complemented by an ever-expanding quest to understand spiritual practices beyond his own traditions, but never beyond his curiosity. At the core of his life was the seventy-five year love story that covered the time of his courtship and marriage to the love of his life, Athena. He viewed their relationship as a cherished gift from God. He brought much laughter, joy, and light to family gatherings and to all who knew him. Perry's guidance and insights were appreciated by friends and family. His wholehearted embrace of life, his keen intellect, his ready sense of humor, and special presence, will be missed by all.
Funeral service will be held on Tuesday January 21st 11am at the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 57 Brown St, Weston MA. Burial is private.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church Iconography Fund, St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church 57 Brown St, Weston MA 02493
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Missing You
HI Dad, We love and miss you so very much! I feel your presence all around and promise, we're all trying each and every day, in every way, to get better and better. Love you to heaven and back.
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