Obituary of Thanos Spiros Karras

Thanos S. Karras died on May 10, 2023 at his home in Garland, Texas; his wife, Judi Lazerus, was by his side. He was 82 years old. Born Athanasios Spiros Karagiannopoulos on July 21, 1940 in Athens, Greece, he grew up during World War II and the ensuing civil war in Greece. He studied architecture and served two years in the Greek Air Force before coming to the United States in 1964 to attend the Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. He received a B.A degree in Design and started a career in advertising in 1968, the same year he became a U.S. citizen. He was mostly self-employed under the studio names of Sporos Studio and Karras Design Studio and spent two years as Creative Director at advertising agencies in Greece. In the 1980's he started a coffee truck and sold coffee and donuts in the early morning to the business crowd in downtown Boston. After that, he took up carpentry and worked in Sacramento and Berkeley, California and Honolulu, Hawaii. He and his wife moved to Garland, Texas in 1994 where he designed and built decks, overheads and pergolas. Thanos will be remembered for his joyous and vibrant personality, his kind and generous heart, sense of humor, love of children and animals, and passion - especially for everything Greek. He liked to help people and do things that would put a smile on someone's face, even that of a stranger. He had a green thumb and was happiest puttering in the yard and tending to the garden. He was a fearless, force of nature and a think-outside-the-box, creative, problem solver. He enjoyed sports and was a fan of all the Boston teams. He enjoyed playing Backgammon and watching movies - especially action/adventure and anything about finding a lost treasure. He was a fighter who beat two different cancers, one of them at stage four. He was a devoted father, son and husband who loved his family unconditionally. He was the epitome of a "Crazy Greek." He was preceded in death by his parents Spiros Karagiannopoulos and Calliope (Jeremiah) Karagiannopoulos. Besides his wife of 34 years, he leaves two sons, Spiros Karras and his fiancé Danyele Brickner of Waltham, Massachusetts and Dean Karras of Watertown, Massachusetts; a sister, Jenny Lymperopoulos of Athens, Greece; a brother, Hercules Karas of Durham, North Carolina; a sister-in-law, Susan Cohen of Falls Church, Virginia; nieces and nephews in the U.S. and Greece who adored him; four grand-nephews and a grand-niece. He will be cremated and the family will have a private gathering, at a later date, to celebrate and remember his life. If you wish to make a donation in his memory, please donate to your charity of choice.