Achilles Themistokles Kozakis

Achilles (Achi) Kozakis
October 19, 1923 - June 17, 2019

Belonging to The Greatest Generation that understood self-sacrifice, personal responsibility, humility, a strong work ethic, and faithful commitment, Achilles Kozakis would often say that he was a “ordinary Joe, who just got lucky.” Surrounded by his family, Achilles Kozakis passed away peacefully on June 17, 2019.

Achilles was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, on October 19, 1923, to Greek emigrants, Themistokles Kozakis and Amersa Kotsonatou. They lived in the Greek section of town, which allowed Achi and his siblings John T of Scottsdale, Nicholas (deceased), Mary (deceased), and Milton (deceased) much support when he lost his mother at the age of eight. With the help of aunts and cousins and his beloved older sister, Mary, Achilles, who suffered from asthma, strived to keep up with his brothers and ended up lettering in varsity football, ice hockey, soccer, and basketball at the Lynn Classical High School.

After high school, he was twice turned down by the Armed Forces because of health reasons; but he wasn’t about to be left behind when his brothers and neighbors were being sent overseas in the Second World War. He found a doctor in town who removed his defective adenoids, thus giving him a clean bill of health and allowing him to join the war effort.

In 1944, he enlisted in the Army Air Corp and became a nose gunner in a B-24 Liberator. He was stationed in Southern Italy and served his country as part of the replacement crew in the 451st bomber group. He would often say that he “Went in as a boy, but came out a man,” as he witnessed his brothers in combat get shot out of the air around him. After 54 sorties and 35 missions disabling many oil refineries which fueled Hitler’s war machine and other strategic targets, Achi earned his honorable discharge along with numerous decorations, including two Purple Hearts.

After returning stateside and spending 18 months in various hospitals to heal from the wounds he sustained in battle, he left Massachusetts and set out for Arizona, where he was to study engineering. An overnight stay in Houston, Texas, proved a fateful one because his car was broken into and it left him stranded there. In 1948, he enrolled at the University of Houston, where he met his beloved bride, Rena Catalanou. He never made it to Arizona!

Together they had six children and built their home in Houston. Children: John Achilles of Houston, Thomas Achilles of Katy, Anna Marie of Fort Worth, Peter Achilles (deceased), Amersa Christine of Brookshire, and Gregory Achilles of Colleyville. The family were members of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Houston where in the mid-1960s, Dad served as president of the Order of AHEPA and shared his mechanical and electrical engineering talents in helping build the school.

Achi’s career as an engineer started as a draftsman for numerous engineering firms. He would often work late hours so as to feed his growing family. He worked many years at Stran Steel. He gained attention as an award-winning lighting designer for the buildings he would illuminate. Dad would load all of the family up in the station wagon and do what he liked to call a “drive by” so he could show us the latest building he had lighted. He was a member of the “500 original Engineers” who air-conditioned Houston. In 1976, he and architect Skipper Joffrion decided to join forces and create their own business. Together, they built a successful offshore construction company named Joffko, where he worked as CEO until retirement.

Rena had had enough city living by the late 1990s and so she found a little part of heaven on a three-acre lot in Brookshire, TX. It was supposed to be their weekend get-a-way, but within a few months they had moved out to Brookshire, and Dad found himself designing the 2,000 sq. ft. addition to the house. For the first few years Dad took the trek into Houston daily, but grew tired of that and so decided to create his office out of Barn #2 and started his “semi-retirement.”

That wasn’t enough to keep Achi’s mind engaged. With the help of the internet, he was able to reach out to bomb groups and veterans, all of whom had a great desire to share their memories and make sure that those who gave their lives for our country would not be forgotten. Dad had stories to tell, not just the kind that kept other octogenarians entertained, but even millennials found themselves riveted by his animated gestures and choice of phrases to paint a picture of “how it was.” He decided to publish his memoirs of the war and he named his book, The Best Seat in the House, because as the nose gunner, he had the first view of approaching enemy aircraft.

For many years he attended the 451st Bomber group reunions, but now he was asked to speak at these events, and when Dad took the microphone, the cameras were rolling. His hotel room was often times filled with not only Veterans, but the children of those Vets, who wanted to hear more of Achi’s stories. Because of these experiences, references to him can be found in WWII books published around the world. Interviews were set up via telephone, Skype, and face-to-face visits. His calendar became crowded with speaking engagements and Veterans Day assemblies at local schools in Katy, Fort Worth, and Colleyville.

But none of that acclaim could compare to the joy he received when he discovered Facebook and developed a wide network of online friends, admirers, and followers with his posts about his past, his “ditties” dedicated to his late wife Rena, and his reminiscences of his experiences during the war and as a young man during the 1940s and 50s.

As his 80s quickly turned into his 90s, his ability to drive and take care of the house in Brookshire became another memory. He moved to Colleyville with his youngest son, Gregory, his wife, Brenda, and their three sons: Nicholas, Nathan, and Noah. Their family made him quite comfortable in what had once been their den. With Achi on board, it became the “Command Center.” Daily, Dad would answer questions from young historians located in Poland and Holland and Vienna and Greece, just to name a few. He would post his musings, and the first thing the next morning he would check to see how many hits he got from his Facebook family. Your interest in what he had to say gave him pure joy. This was a Veteran who was not forgotten, but who was thanked daily for the service he had given 75 years ago. Ten days before he passed, Achilles Kozakis travelled to Houston and was recognized by the French Legion of Honor for his participation in WWII campaigns that helped liberate France.

This “ordinary Joe, who just got lucky,” whose life exemplified the self-sacrifice, personal responsibility, humility, strong work ethic, and faithful commitment of the Greatest Generation will be remembered and celebrated with a memorial service at Lucas Funeral Home on 700 W. Wall Street, Grapevine, TX, 76051, beginning at 9:30 a.m., followed by interment with honors at the DFW National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy., Dallas, TX., 75211, beginning promptly at 11:30 a.m., on August 1, 2019. A reception will follow.

Achi was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Rena Kozakis, his two brothers Nicholas and Milton, his sister Mary, his son Peter Achilles (Perry) Kozakis, and granddaughter Melissa Erin Carlson. He is survived by his brother John T. Kozakis (Kay) of Scottsdale, AZ, and his children: Ken (Ellen) and Christopher; by his sons John Achilles, Thomas Achilles (Svetlana), and Gregory Achilles (Brenda); his daughters Anna Marie Carlson (Don) and Chrissy; grandchildren Ksenia Kozakis, Allison Marie Carlson, Michael Carlson (Alena), Rachel Carlson, Thomas Carlson (Sawyer), Nicholas Kozakis, Nathan Kozakis, and Noah Kozakis; by nieces, nephews, and cousins in Massachusetts, New York, Florida, California, and Greece; and by his huge Facebook family.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts honoring Achilles Kozakis may be made to:
The Brookwood Community
1752 FM 1489
Brookshire, Texas 77423
www.brookwoodcommunity.org
Credit card donations over the phone: 281-375-2174