Demetrios

Vrakas

Demetrios (Jimmy) Vrakas passed away on October 26, 2026, on his 90th birthday and name day. Demetrios always said, “Life is sweet,” a sentiment that perfectly captured the way he lived. He was born in 1936 in Vogatsiko, Kastoria, Greece, and was married to his beloved late wife, Vasiliki (Kiki). Together, they had three children, George (Joy), Anita (Andrew), and Vicky (Tommy), and seven grandchildren, Chris, Alexa, Olivia, Jimmy, Yanni, Kiriakos, and James. Dimitri was the youngest of five children and the only son.

Demetrios grew up in WWII-era Greece during trying times, which shaped him into the hardworking, humble, and resilient man he became. He eventually moved to the United States in 1956, where he worked multiple jobs before becoming a furrier in Manhattan, as many from Kastoria did. He met his beautiful wife, Kiki, at a dance, and they married in 1960 in upstate New York, where they began their family. In 1972, Demetrios and his family moved back to Greece, settling in the coastal city of Thessaloniki, spending their summers in their cherished village of Vogatsiko and vacationing across the beautiful Greek islands as a family. He was a devoted, hands-on father who took great joy in being involved in his children’s lives.

In 1982, Demetrios and his family returned to New Jersey, where he proudly watched all three of his children marry and start families of their own. He continued his career in the Westwood school system, where he was beloved by teachers and students alike, eventually retiring in 2002. That same year, Demetrios experienced the heartbreaking loss of his beloved wife, Kiki.

Demetrios loved painting, had a deep appreciation for nature and gardening, and always placed great importance on health and wellness. After retiring, he spent his springs and summers in the village in Greece that he loved so dearly, hiking and taking long walks. Back in New Jersey, he walked for two hours every day at Overpeck Park in Leonia. Demetrios was a joyful, spirited man who found happiness in life’s simplest pleasures. He was a fighter and a force of nature, having survived three different types of cancer throughout his lifetime. He had an incredible zest for life and was always full of joy, with a smile on his face. Fiercely independent and self-sufficient, Demetrios remained that way until his final day, never asking for help from anyone.

Above all, Demetrios was a loving husband, father, and grandfather whose strength, warmth, and love for life will never be forgotten. We will think of him in the beauty of nature, on long walks, and in the simple moments that make life so special. He will be dearly missed, but his spirit will live on in all of us, reminding us, just as he always said, that “life is sweet.”