Kastaris Family Photo Archives

Penelope and Euripides Kastaris (Demetrios Kastaris’s grandparents on his father’s side). Photo taken in Athens (Galatsi section of Athens) Greece. Early 1950’s. Both Penelope and Euripides spoke fluent Greek, Arabic, and German due to their travels.

Grandmother Penelope Kastaris in Galatsi, (Athens) Greece, Early 1950’s.

Left: Demetrios’s mother Georgia (Maiden name Skouras) and right: her brother Kostantinos Skouras in Patissia (Athens) Greece. Mid 1940’s.

Demetrios’s grandfather, Demetrios Skouras with mom, Georgia Skouras in Patissia (Athens, Greece. Mid 1040’s. (The Greek tradition is to name the children after their grandparents, thus grandfather Demetrios Skouras, grandson Demetrios Kastaris. Euripides and Penelope Kastaris, Demetrios’s brother and sister, were named after grandparents Euripides and Penelope).

The Skouras Dynasty family tree from 1850 to 1970 prepared by Evan (Evangelos) Skouras in 1970.

Demetrios Kastaris’s father Panagiotis Kastaris as an officer (Lieutenant) in the Greek Army Kozani, Greece, Early 1950’s.

Panagiotis Kastaris as an officer (Lieutenant) in Kozani, Greece, Early 1950’s.

Panagiotis Kastaris as an officer (Lieutenant) on his horse in Kozani, Greece, Early 1950’s.

Painting of Panagiotis Kastaris in Kozani, Greece, Early 1950’s.

Panagiotis Kastaris and Georgia Skouras on their “one and only date” shortly before their marriage. They were married in an arranged marriage as part of a Greek tradition at that time. December, 1955.

The wedding ceremony. Panagiotis marries Georgia on December 26, 1955.

Wedding Day, Panagiotis and Georgia Kastaris, December 26, 1955.

More posed wedding pictures, Panagiotis and Georgia Kastaris, December 26, 1955.

Reverend Panagiotis Kastaris and his mom Penelope Kastaris, mid 1050’s in Athens, Greece. Dad became a Greek Orthodox priest and thus the beard, long hair, and hat.

Reverend Panagiotis Kastaris, mid 1950’s.

Presvitera (title of priest’s wife) Georgia Kastaris and her husband, Reverend Panagiotis Kastaris, resting outside of their home in Thessaloniki, Greece in the late 1950’s. Thessaloniki is a Bible city. The Apostle Paul wrote the Books of First Thessalonians and Second Thessalonians to the Christian Church of Thessaloniki, Greece in the New Testament. (Actually in English the correct form is Thessalonika, but I am so used to the Greek word "Thessaloniki").

Reverend Panagiotis Kastaris

April 20, 1959, Demetrios Kastaris is born in Thessaloniki, Greece!

Kastaris family in Thessaloniki, Greece around 1961. I am standing just below dad, next to me is Penelope (Penny), Euripides (Rip) is in mom’s arm’s.

Kastaris family in Thessaloniki, Greece around 1961. Left to right, Penny, Dad, Demetrios, Mom, and Rip in mom’s arms.

The Lefko Pyrgo (White Tower) In Thessaloniki, Greece. Photo taken around 1960. Left to right, Penny, Mom, Demetrios. The Lefko Pyrgo or White Tower was built approximately 500 years ago, long after the Bible was written. However the Lefko Pyrgo is the defining or signature image that identifies Thessaloniki today.

Mrs. Georgia Kastaris and daughter Penny in Thessaloniki, Greece, around 1961.

The Kastaris family decides to immigrate to the United States in 1961! This photo was taken approximately one hour before leaving Athens, Greece in Port Pireas by ship. Notice Reverend Panagiotis Kastaris (in the middle with the hat on) shaved his beard and cut his long hair in preparation for blending into the culture of the United States. Left to right, top row, Demetrios Kastaris, aunt Thora (Theothora which means God’s gift), aunt Eleni, brother Rip, Grandma Ekaterina, mom (Georgia) with scarf on, dad (Reverend Panagiotis) grandma Penelope. unknown person, grandfather Euripides. Bottom row, left to right, uncle Kostantinos, uncle Theothoros (name means gift from God), sister Penny, cousin Katina (Ekaterina), cousin Sofia (name means wisdom). Only the 5 of us in the immediate Kastaris family immigrated to the United States. That makes this photo is a very dramatic image for me. We did however visit Greece numerous times after immigrating to the United States.

Lorain, Ohio, bottom row, Demetrios, Euripides “Rip”, Penelope (Penny). Up on the couch, Reverend Panagiotis (changed his name to Peter in the United States in order to become more American). To the right of Dad, Mrs. Georgia Kastaris. Photo taken around 1963. In addition to shaving his beard and cutting his long hair, dad did not wear his black robe any more outside of church in the street in order to blend into the American culture. Dad also did a fantastic job of learning to speak English at a very high level and almost completed a PHD in Theology before he passed away.

Rip, Penny, Demetrios, Lorain, Ohio, around 1963.

Demetrios in Lorain, Ohio, around 1963.

Ekaterini Skouras, Demetrios's grandmother in Athens, Greece.

Demetrios, dressed in a Greek Evzone costume for Greek Independence Day, Lorain, Ohio, around 1963. The tradition practiced by Greek Americans is to have their children recite poetry about their Greek national pride in the church fellowship hall on Greek Independence Day dressed in traditional costumes, March 25 every year.

Demetrios and Penny, Lorain, Ohio, around 1964.

Thanksgiving Day in the Kastaris family home in Lorain, Ohio.

St. Louis Arch

Demetrios, around 1966, St. Louis, Missouri.

Demetrios, around 1967, St. Louis, Missouri.

Demetrios, in his Cub Scout uniform around 1967, University City, St. Louis, Missouri.

The Kastaris family visits Athens, Greece after seven years in the United States. Photo taken at the Acropolis, Athens, Greece. Acros-point of, polis-city, Acropolis- city on the point of a mountain.

Acropolis, Athens, Greece. Demetrios, Reverend Peter Kastaris, Rip.

Demetrios, around 1968, St. Louis, Missouri.

Demetrios, running on the Affton High School Cross Country Team, 1975, Affton, St. Louis, Missouri.

Demetrios, playing the trombone in the Affton High School Band, 1976, Affton, St. Louis, Missouri.

Demetrios, senior picture, Affton High School, 1977, Affton, St. Louis, Missouri.

Demetrios Kastaris, on a break from classes at New York University, Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village, lower Manhattan, New York, 1979.

Left, Demetrios playing the trombone, right, tenor saxophone player Dan Nigro, performing in a Jazz recital together at New York University, 1980.

Demetrios Kastaris, outside of his house on graduation day from New York University, May 15, 1982.

Demetrios in his first job as String Orchestra Director, William Cowper Intermediate School 73, Maspeth, Queens, New York City Department of Education, 1984. Demetrios began teaching at IS 73 in 1982 but did not begin teaching music until 1984.

Demetrios conducting a String Orchestra concert, William Cowper Intermediate School 73, Maspeth, Queens, 1984.

Demetrios Kastaris in 1984

Performing in one of the seven full time bands at the Concord Resort Hotel in up-state, New York, (Catskill Mountains). Lake Kiamesha, New York, a two hour drive from New York City.

Hilda Mercedes Bastidas in a small town outside of her native capital city of Santa Fé de Bogotá, Colombia, South America.

Hilda Mercedes Bastidas becomes Hilda Kastaris when she marries Demetrios on June 29, 1988 in New York. (Not an arranged marriage!).

Hilda and Demetrios, wedding day, June 29, 1988.

Demetrios poses with mom (Georgia Kastaris) at Thanksgiving in Reverend and Georgia Kastaris’s new home in Canton, Ohio.

Baby Kathryn Kastaris (born February 28, 1990).

Dad gets “stressed out” after changing baby Kathryn’s diaper. Actually this photo was the one and only time that dad ever helped changing Kathryn’s diapers. Thanks Hilda.

Dad enjoying time with baby Kathryn before he runs off to play in a wedding band on a Saturday night.

Hilda posing with baby Kathryn at brother Euripides’s Art Studio in St. Louis, Missouri.

Dad enjoying time with little Kathryn again before he runs off to play with another wedding band.

Hilda and Kathryn at home in Queens, New York.

Kathryn poses for dad at the Queens Botanical Garden, Flushing, Queens, New York.

Kathryn (in black sweater) attending classes in elementary school at the South Shore Christian School in Nassau County, Long Island, New York.

Kathryn Kastaris poses at her birthday party in elementary school.

Hilda and Demetrios visit St. Louis Missouri for a family event.

Demetrios and Hilda playing with the family dogs while visiting the home of Hilda’s parents, Noro (Luis Antonio) Bastidas, and Hilda Virginia Bastidas) in Bogotá, Colombia, South America.

Demetrios and Hilda on vacation visiting in an area just outside of Bogotá, Colombia, South America. (South American llamas in the background).

Noro and Hilda Virginia Bastidas, Demetrios and Hilda Kastaris, on vacation visiting in an area just outside of Bogotá, Colombia, South America.

Hilda and Demetrios posing with a llama in Bogotá, Colombia, South America.

Hilda Kastaris on the top of the mountain of Monserrate, in Bogotá, Colombia. What a beautiful panorama of the capital city below!

Hilda Kastaris in another section of the same mountain top of Monserrate, in Bogotá, Colombia.

Pasto, Colombia, birth place of Hilda (Bastidas) Kastaris

Noro Bastidas with his daughter Hilda Kastaris, on vacation in Chachagüí, Colombia, about a half of an hour drive from Pasto, Colombia.

Flying dolphins, Cartagena, Colombia. Photo by Demetrios Kastaris.

Rip Kastaris mounts his 22 foot by 9 foot original painting “Kyklos, the Circle of Glory” in the Spiros Louis Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece. This is a historic painting made for the 2004 Olympics where the games returned to Athens after 108 years. The painting is still on display today in the stadium.

“Kyklos, the Circle of Glory” by artist Euripides Kastaris mounted in the Spiros Louis Olympic Stadium in 2004 in Athens, Greece.

Demetrios and Hilda Kastaris. Photo by Jerry Lacay.

A very special moment. Demetrios giving a tight hug and dancing with his precious baby daughter, Kathryn at her wedding celebration aboard the Lucille. September 1, 2013.