Pete Nick Poolos Jr., M.D.

Pete Nick Poolos, Jr. M. D., 92 years of age, husband of Priscilla Anne, father of Nicholas Pete, Mark Peter and Elizabeth Alexandra, grandfather of Zoe, Pete, Olivia, Jack and Melania, and great grandfather of Kellen. He was born in Atlanta, to Nicholas S. Poolos and Evangelia Handrinos. As a child he was picked to serve as an altar boy in the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, culminating in his Tonsuring by the then-Archbishop Athenagoras and elevation to the position of church reader. He attended high school at the Georgia Military Academy where he graduated with honors at the age of 17 in 1950. He then attended Emory University and began his premedical courses, entering medical school after just three years at the Medical College of Georgia where he graduated in June 1957. There he was the editor of the medical school student newspaper, The Cadaver. Following medical school, he obtained a surgical internship at Mount Sinai Hospital of Cleveland. While there he formed a great relationship with the Chief of Neurosurgery at that hospital, Dr. Julius Wolkin and thus was accepted as a resident in neurosurgery at University Hospital of Cleveland under Dr. Frank Nulsen. He completed a total of six years of residency training and during his residency he met Priscilla Tsivitse, a nursing student at the time. They were married in 1961 and had 63 happy years together.

Following medical training, he was appointed as staff neurosurgeon at the United States Naval Hospital in San Diego, California with the rank of Lieut. Cmdr. He served for two years then returned to Cleveland, Ohio. He was appointed to the teaching staff of the Department of Neurosurgery at what is now the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and joined a prestigious neurosurgical practice led by the eminent Dr. W. James Gardner.

He joined the staff of Fairview General Hospital, as well as then St. John’s Hospital and St. Alexis hospital. He was actively engaged as a member of the teaching staff at those hospitals and appointed Chief of Neurosurgery at Fairview, a position he held until his retirement. In 1973, he began a lifelong friendship with Archbishop Iakovos, often traveling to New York with his family to meet with him. At age 50, he left a group practice and started his solo neurosurgical practice at Fairview, aided by wife Priscilla and his son Mark. He practiced successfully for another 30 years, focusing on neurosurgical treatment of spine and peripheral nerve disorders, complicated tumors and aneurysms, gaining legions of grateful patients for his conservative, skilled care of their conditions. He served in volunteer medical advisory positions for the Cleveland Police Department and was the attending physician for the Metropolitan Opera during their annual performances in Cleveland—a special treat considering his lifelong love of the opera.

Upon his retirement at age 80, he was awarded the first Lifetime Achievement award in the Department of Surgery at Fairview Hospital. On the day of his retirement in June 2013, at the culmination of 50 years of active practice in the specialty of neurosurgery, the hospital gave a farewell party which was attended by many members not only of the medical staff and nursing staff but also housekeeping, x-ray, and maintenance workers, all of whom were part of his hospital family. In retirement, he was an involved grandfather with his five grandchildren and enjoyed the natural beauty of Northeast Ohio, his treasured home for nearly all of his adult life. He was a committed member of the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church from the time he moved to Cleveland and deeply enjoyed singing in the choir during retirement. Overall, he was a committed member of his Northeast Ohio community, serving as both a trusted physician and as a dear friend to many people often being the first person to show up in times of need.

A memorial service will be held at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, Rocky River, OH, on Saturday, March 22, 2025. Visitation starting at 9 am, service at 11 am, reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Demetrios in Pete’s honor: saintdemetriosrr.org