HONOLULU - Theodore A. Anastasopulos, 84, one of the founders of Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral, the first Greek Orthodox church in Hawaii, died Dec. 10 at his home in Kailua. He also was an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and a member of one of the pioneer Greek families in Hawaii. He was the first and only person in Hawaii to be named an Archon.

He was born in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii in 1932 to Demetrios and Julia Anastasopulos, immigrants from Vassara, Sparta, Greece.

Because there was no Greek Orthodox Church in Hawaii in the 1930’s, Julia had made a vow that she would baptize her son at a small monastery in Greece near their summer village. The events of WWII and the subsequent Greek Civil War made travel to Greece impossible for many years. The vow was fulfilled in 1952. Ted took the name of the monastery, Sts. Anargyroi. The A. for Anargyros was added to his name after he was baptized.

Ted and his sister, Helen, attended local schools. While at Stevenson Intermediate, they both worked in the pineapple fields.

Because of the war, laborers were limited. When it was their turn to work, trucks would pick up the students from school.

They would either hoe or pick pineapples by hand and put the pineapples in a burlap bag they would carry on their backs. A local newspaper had a full-page picture of them with hoes on their shoulders and a caption reading, “Helping the war effort.”

After graduating from Roosevelt High School, Ted went on to Menlo Junior College in Menlo Park, Calif., later transferring to the University of California at Berkeley and majored in American History, then decided to go to San Francisco Hotel and Restaurant School.

Upon his return to Hawaii, he worked as a night clerk at the Moana Surfrider Hotel. From there he went to the Halekulani Hotel and was promoted to assistant manager. He worked there for five years and became manager of the Waiohai Hotel at Poipu, Kauai.

Changing careers Ted received a master’s degree in education from State College Boston in 1968. He taught for many years at Honolulu’s Central Intermediate School and ended up at his alma mater, Roosevelt.

Ted, along with his parents and sister, became one of the founders of what became the Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral of the Pacific in 1965.

He served in various leadership positions over the years including parish council president. Ted also was the parish historian keeping books of photos, newspaper articles, and other materials.

“I was always uplifted by his positive and generous spirit, and by the way he gave of himself unselfishly to help others,” Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco said in a letter read at Ted’s funeral. “Ted was a man of impeccable character who loved the Lord and exemplified his faith in all his actions.”

Ted was predeceased by his parents, his sister, and her daughter. He is survived by his grandnephew, Demetri Marmash, who lovingly cared for him in recent years.

Funeral services were held on Dec. 28 at the cathedral, officiated by the current priest, Fr. Alexander Leong and former pastor Fr. Peter Salmas. Contributions in Ted’s memory may be made to the Cathedral, 730 Lunalilo St., Honolulu, HI 96822.