A first-generation, first-born son of Greek immigrants, to James and Assimina Lekas (Stavrakis) in Portland, Oregon, Tom was raised in a traditional Greek home full of life, food, and family. He spoke only Greek when he started first grade at Alameda Elementary School in NE Portland. He quickly learned English from his friends and playmates.
Around ten years of age, Tom started work in his father’s restaurant, The Puritan Café, where he washed dishes and peeled potatoes in a back room with Greek immigrants his father had taken in when they first arrived in the country looking for work. Tom graduated from Grant High School in 1949 where he played baseball and was in several garage bands. His family life centered around the Greek community, in particular attending Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church where he served as an altar boy.
Knowing how important education was to his parents, they insisted he go to college, but not too far from home. Initially, he lived at home and attended University of Portland, then University of Oregon his sophomore year, studying business and pre-law. Tom pledged the Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) fraternity, was elected president of the house his senior year, made many life-long friends, and is where he met his future wife, Ann Strowger.
Tom was drafted into the army after graduating from Oregon in 1953. His basic training was at Fort Ord and was stationed at The Presidio in San Francisco. He later accepted a commission to serve as the personal assistant to the base commander at Camp Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. He enjoyed the outdoors while hunting and fishing in the Alaskan wilderness.
Tom returned to Portland, married Ann, and attended night school at Northwestern School of Law (now Lewis & Clark Law School), while working days driving a milk truck for Sunshine Dairy. Tom and Ann raised a family together, and he began practicing tax law in Portland. Tom and Ann had three children, Jim, Janet, and John. When they later divorced, Tom married Catherine Miner; they had two children, George, and Leah, to add to his family.
Tom eventually started a legal practice of his own with two law school classmates. Known for his legal immigration and property work, Tom assisted many families in the Greek community, and aided countless immigrants to settle in this country.
Tom learned the art of roasting a lamb over an open fire and shared his talents at the Holy Trinity Greek Festival, and at countless backyard Greek Easter celebrations. He served on the board of directors for the Portland Limnes Association, whose sole purpose is to raise money to send back to his father’s village in Limnes, Greece.
Tom was a proud member of the Clan McClay Bagpipe band for eleven years; marching with the band in the Portland Rose Parade was a highlight.
An avid outdoorsman, Tom loved hunting and fishing with his friends and relatives, spending countless hours in a duck blind and walking stubble fields hunting for upland birds. Tom enjoyed working with and training his bird dogs. He was president of Oregon Duck Hunters’ Association, became a life member, helped ODHA become registered as a non-profit, and especially enjoyed supporting youth new to bird hunting.
Tom was proud of his family home and kept an immaculate yard in the Portland Hunt Club neighborhood, a Century Home-designated house the family occupied for 60 years.
Vital to Tom were his social connections that he developed and fostered in his 89 years as a Portland resident. Deeply connected in the Portland community, he practiced law in Oregon for 51 years, and became the youngest member to join Portland’s University Club.
Tom was an avid gin rummy player who for years played a nightly game with his wife, Catherine until shortly before he passed. He was a consummate family man who thoroughly enjoyed all his children and their spouses, grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.
Tom is survived by his family including his beloved wife Catherine “Cat Bird,”; children, James Lekas (Holly), Janet Chapman (Dave), George Lekas (Jennifer), Leah Kravas (Demetri); grandchildren, Angela & Sam Chapman, Lauren & Andrew Lekas, JJ & Rachael Kravas, Ryan Chiotti (Erica), Robin Hackett (Matthew), Ragan Hemenway (Blake) and Ellen Grose (Nolan); and great grandchildren, Riley & Tanner Hackett, Audrey Chiotti, and Lily Grose. Tom is preceded in death by his parents, James and Assimina Lekas, his aunt Irene Milon, brothers Ernest and Andrew Lekas, son John Lekas, and his first wife, Ann Strowger.
Remembrances in lieu of flowers may be sent to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital (www.ohsu.edu/doernbecher) or Kids N’ Cancer Camp Agape at Camp Angelos (www.sfphiloptochos.org/ministries/kids-n-cancer/camp-agape/).
The family is grateful to bagpiper and friend, Michael Hubbard, who will play Tom’s personal bagpipes at the internment today, which Tom had donated back to the Clan McClay Bagpipe Band when he retired.
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