Gregory Theodore Parkos

Gregory Theodore Parkos, 79, of 420 Carroll Canal, Venice, CA, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at his home in Venice, CA. He was the husband of Nadine Diggins Parkos.Born in Somerville, MA on March 11, 1930, he was the first son of Theodore and Mary Diomandes Parkos of Kerrasia, Eastern Thrace, Turkey and grew up in Newport, RI. He served as an agent in the US Army Counterintelligence Corps from 1951 to 1953 and as a Foreign Service Staff Officer for the State Department from 1953-1956. He was a lifelong patriot and was proud to serve his country. He was a prominent business leader throughout his extensive professional career and ultimately retired as the CEO of Whittaker Corporation, a multinational publicly held company headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. In retirement, he continued his devotion to the advancement of new technology by serving on the boards of many national and international corporations. Most recently, he served on the boards of Cookson LLC, headquartered in the U.K., and Strategic Data Corporation, located in Los Angeles, CA. Driven by the strong immigrant work ethic of his parents, he pursued his dreams with a sense of urgency through higher education despite difficult financial times. He received his B.S. in Business from Bryant College and his M.B.A. from Boston University. He was a mentor to many and provided opportunities to those who shared a dedication to the pursuit of knowledge. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Bryant University and was a past President of its Board of Trustees.An active lifetime member of both St. Spyridons Church in Newport and of St. Sophias Cathedral in Los Angeles, Greg was a deeply spiritual man. He was also a member of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association.To Greg Parkos, attitude is the essence of life. Family and friends were of the utmost importance and he provided thoughtful guidance and assistance to all. He had tremendous passion for life and travelled the world. He was a student of the works of Ernest Hemingway, sought adventure as Hemingway notoriously did, and even his daughter January called him Papa.He is survived by his wife Nadine D. Parkos, his daughter Jaclyn McDonough Parkos of Providence, RI, his daughter January Parkos Arnall and her husband James and their two children Laszlo Theodore Arnall and Gretchen Louise Arnall of Venice, CA, brother John Theodore Parkos and his wife Catherine of Tarpon Springs, FL, sister Estelle Parkos Antonio and her husband Thomas of Tarpon Springs, FL and Newport, RI, sister Barbara Parkos of Newport, RI, sister Elaine Parkos Holder and her husband Charles of Newport, RI as well as many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.His funeral will be held on Thursday, September 10, at 11 am at St. Spyridons Greek Orthodox Church, 390 Thames Street, Newport. The internment will follow at Island Cemetery in Newport.Calling hours will be held Wednesday, September 9 from 4:00-8:00pm in the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport.For those who wish to do so, in lieu of flowers the family would appreciate donations to his youngest daughters special needs camp, Camp Horizons, PO Box 323, South Windham, CT 06266, www.camphorizons.org; or Salvation Army, www.salvationarmyusa.org,1-800-SAL-ARMY.