NEW YORK - Dr. Nicholas Kladopoulos, 87, former director of the Archdiocese Office of Greek Education, passed away Monday, January 27, after a brief illness.
Dr. Kladopoulos served as the Director of Greek Education of the Archdiocese for 10 years, from 1989 to Oct. 29, 1999 when he retired after 38 years of faithful service to the Church in America. Previously, he was head of the Registry Department, secretary of the spiritual court and taught at the Cathedral School from 1964-79.
Born in Constantinople, in the suburb of Chalcedon, he went on to study at the Patriarchal Theological School at Halki, graduating in 1953. He then went to England to study and observe the function of the Anglican Church’s clergy.
In 1955, returning to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, he served as secretary of the Spiritual Diaconate under Patriarch Athenagoras, and was also placed in charge of all the catechetical schools in the city of Constantinople.
He joined the Patriarchal Press Office in 1956 as director of the weekly “Apostolos Andreas,” the official publication of the Patriarchate.
Dr. Kladopoulos came to the United States in 1961 at the invitation of Archbishop Iakovos to continue his education. He enrolled at Union Theological Seminary in New York where he studied homiletic theology, while also working in the Office of the Archbishop.
He completed his doctorate in theology at the University of Thessaloniki in the late 1980s. His total service to the Church spanned 44 years.
During his service as Director of the Department of Education, Dr. Kladopoulos focused his efforts on visiting communities, meeting the needs of Greek students and working to elevate the standards of teachers. During his tenure, the state of New York Board of Education gave accreditation to the Greek day schools as non-public schools. He placed emphasis in meeting the standards for the Regents Exams and, in 1997, aided in efforts to retain the state Greek Regents Exam which had been slated for elimination.
He is survived by his wife Maria, his three children Ekaterini, Christos and Theodore and their families.
His funeral, on Friday January 31, 11 a.m., will be officiated by Archbishop Demetrios of America in the Archdiocesan Cathedral of Holy Trinity in New York City. Visitations and wake will held at Frederick Funeral Home, 192-15 Northern Blvd., Flushing, NY 11358 on Thursday Jan. 30, 2-5 p.m. and 7-9 pm.
