Peter Papadakos, chanter and volunteer for many Greek churches in the Pittsburgh area, has died

Peter Papadakos was passionate about his Greek heritage, serving the church and helping anyone who needed it.

Those ideals, and practicing law, were among the first things that came to mind when friends reflected on the life of the McKeesport native.

A treasurer and longtime member of the Grecian Odyssey Dancers, Papadakos of East Pittsburgh passed away Jan. 14 from covid and pneumonia complications. He was 66.

“He was really a good friend for many people, and did many good things for a lot of people,” said longtime friend Mary Doreza, director of the Grecian Odyssey Dancers. “I know that Peter would be very positive and try to do the best he can, and I’m going to try to do that also.”

Doreza and Papadakos knew each other for more than 30 years. She recalled him as a dancer who gave his all in 835 performances, the most of any man in the group.

Papadakos traveled to Greece with the dance team a couple times and was a mentor to the younger generation.

“Peter was a particularly great with all the young people,” Doreza said. “He would encourage them to continue education (and) got a couple to get into the field of law. Always giving of himself, not only give his professional talents but he would do some of the legal stuff for the greater church. He loved Greece.

“He’s really done more than five or six people put together in terms of being philanthropic.”

His last dance was at a holiday party in the South Hills Dec. 17. Alecia Denillo was his dance partner there.

One of their dances was the Sousta, in which Denillo would dance away quickly and Papadakos would playfully chase her.

Denillo, 34, of Plum said he showed no signs of sickness or slowing down at the show.

“He was the jack-of-all-trades — and master of most, in my opinion,” Denillo said. “He was so enthusiastic about the things that he was teaching, especially about the church.”

Head of music at Oakmont church

Papadakos was head of music for more than four decades at the Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church in Oakmont.

Denillo is a parishioner of that church and was one of Papadakos’ chanter students.

“The love just poured out of him and it was contagious,” Denillo said. “It made me want to learn more and more. He would always challenge me. He was an endless encyclopedia of knowledge, not only that he was fun. He was funny. We were friends. He was my spiritual guide, but also my close friend, and I miss him dearly.”

Papadakos graduated from McKeesport Area High School in 1973, was a magna cum laude graduate of Dickinson College in Carlisle in 1977. He majored in English and ancient Greek, and earned his law degree from the Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh in 1980.

In private practice shortly after graduating from Duquense, Papadakos served as the chief law clerk of the administrative judge of the Civil Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County from 1980-1983.

From from 1984 until 1995, he was chief law clerk for his father, state Supreme Court Justice Nicholas P. Papadakos.

Papadakos served as the treasurer/financial secretary of the board of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh for many years. He was also its Propotsalti, or main chanter.

“His life really was his legal practice and his church,” said the Rev. Ryan Gzikowski, archdeacon of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh. “The dancers were part of church. It all kind of circled around his Greek heritage. … He was one of those volunteers that always showed up.”

Gzikowski said Papadakos never took payment for his legal assistance, and was instrumental in the Metropolis acquiring tax exempt status in the 1980s.

Papadakos would go on to help many other churches and humanitarian organizations.

Friends and family gathered at the Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church in Oakmont on Jan 19. A funeral service took place the following day at the church followed by entombment at the mausoleum of McKeesport and Versailles Cemetery.

A memorial scholarship fund was created in Papadakos’ name. Gzikowski said it already has received several thousand dollars in donations.

Contributions to it can be mailed to the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh, P.O. Box 645953, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-5257.

Donors should put Peter Clyde Papadakos Memorial Scholarship Fund in the check’s memo line.