Christos (Chris) Achilles Nickolas fell asleep September 30, 2017.  He was born February 14, 1930 in Tacoma, Washington. Preceded in his death were his parents Achilles and Pauline Nickolas, his uncle John Christ, his brother Nick and sister-in-law Nitsa Nickolas, his son Luke Nickolas and the love of his life Evelyn Fox Nickolas.  He leaves his family of son Kenneth T. Nickolas, granddaughters Kaitlin Noel and Alexandria Evelyn Nickolas, son Christopher J. Nickolas and spouse Vanessa, grandson Dr. Matt and spouse Erin Nickolas, great granddaughter Parker Evelyn Nickolas, and granddaughter Kirby Behenna and spouse Brett, and great grandchildren Lillian and Henry Behenna.
While he was very young his father passed away and he moved to a small farm and was raised by his mother and uncle.  In high school he was editor of the paper and again in Whitman College where he graduated.  Hard work was part of who he was from selling apples and shining shoes on the downtown streets of Tacoma at the age of 4 to the insurance industry where he spent over 40 years until his retirement. We were taught if we start something we finish it whether it was a job, a volunteer project, or helping a neighbor. To only worry about the things you can control and just work with the things you can’t.
During the Korean War he was stationed in Wichita Falls, Texas and before he prepared to deploy when in Dallas he met his future wife.  There it was love at first sight. Fortunately the war ended just before deployment and they were married in 1953. A few years later they moved to Houston and moved into the second completed home in Westbury.
In the early 60’s he began his career in the insurance business winning and achieving many awards throughout his career.  His talent however was in volunteering and fundraising.  He served on the board of the YMCA and negotiated the property that was to become the Westland Y, the name he gave it and served as its first Chairman.  Later he started and chaired the first Greek Festival. He served on the board and was President at Annunciation Cathedral. From there the Alley Theater Gala, and was asked on numerous occasions to help with many of the other festivals in Houston. He enjoyed these and was a natural master of ceremony, where he chaired a huge fundraiser for the Museum of Printing History and had President and First Lady George H. and Barbara Bush as honorary guests and had the late Paul Harvey of radio fame as guest speaker.
His greatest gift and achievement though was a very quiet but long one of devotion with no plaques or awards dinners or patches for his sleeves.  He stood by and took care of his wife for over 46 years who suffered from MS since the beginning of their marriage.  His love for her was so rare that the MS Society called him constantly to go speak to young couples who just discovered a spouse had MS. He started the job and finished it at her passing never forgetting her and for the next 17 years he would cry at the sound of her name or seeing her picture.
He fought a good fight for over 2 years battling cancer.  He never lost his sense of humor and there wasn’t a nurse that didn’t fall in love with him. He is back with his wife and now they get to live a marriage with no illness.  We will never forget how he treated her with the love and respect and how his dedication to his faith kept him going. He is our hero and he is an angel.
Pallbearers are Jim Stamos, John Stamos, Dr. George Fox, John Fox, Chris Fox, and Subdeacon Constintin Ardeleanu.  Honorary Pallbearers are Nick Fox, Tom Fox, and Spero Pappas.
A visitation will be held on Thursday, October 5, 2017 from five until seven o’clock in the evening with a Trisagion Service at six o’clock at Bradshaw- Carter Memorial & Funeral Services, 1734 West Alabama Street in Houston, The funeral service will be held on Friday, October 6, 2017 at half past ten o’clock in the morning at St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church, 1100 Eldridge Parkway in Houston.  Burial will follow at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery, 12,800 Westheimer Rd.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Cyril Building Fund, 3333 S. Panther Creek, The Woodlands, Texas 77381 or to a Harvey Relief Fund.

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