Nicholas Tsiongas

         Nicholas Tsiongas, 100, of Bristol, Connecticut, a machinist, stone mason, veteran of the Greek Civil war (1946-1948), and an indefatigable family patriarch well into his late 90’s, passed quietly on August 12 in Providence in the loving embrace of his family.
Born in the village of Korifi-Kozani, Greece, son of Konstantine S. Tsiongas and Triantafillia (Lionta) Tsiongas, he began at age 12 assisting his father as a mason and later survived famine, armed foreign occupation, and civil conflict before arriving in the United States with his wife Anna (Mellios) Tsiongas and their three-year-old son in 1956, settling in Bristol, Connecticut.
It was fortuitously a time when central Connecticut was still a hub for manufacturing jobs and both he and his wife quickly began what would be long careers as machinists.
Whenever a factory layoff would occur, husband and wife would seek and find a replacement factory job, often working different shifts so that one parent was always with the children; as a consequence, for years, Sundays were the only daylight hours they shared together.
For decades, Nicholas was employed at the Associated Spring Division of the Barnes Group and was a proud member of the United Auto Workers (UAW). With borrowed money from friends, he bought his first home in 1960, a three-tenement house, and went on to become a small landlord eventually owning three more tenement buildings. He performed the carpentry, painting, plumbing, lawn care, and snow removal for each of the buildings, all the while working his factory job. Often, having already performed a full morning’s work, he would loudly rouse his sleeping children--who mistakenly assumed summer vacation was a time of rest—and put a paint brush in their hands and directed them to work.
For decades Nicholas was an active member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Waterbury, CT and a founding member of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, Bristol. Serving the local Greek community, he chaired the philanthropic organization of his home village and was a member of Pan-Macedonian and Pan-Hellenic organizations.
Nicholas was known for his tenacity, his good humor, and his generosity which he passed down to his family. Having gone only as far as the sixth grade, he and his wife were able to send both their children to college and graduate school, and to contribute as well to their grandchildren’s education. Later in life, he was an avid salt water fisherman, often arriving at dawn with his wife to surfcast at Weekapaug, Rhode Island.
Besides his wife Anna, Nicholas is survived by his children Dr. K. Nicholas Tsiongas (Anna Sibley) of Providence and Mary Tsiongas (Andrew Comas) of New York City and ex-daughter-in-law Dr. Carol Herrmann of Rhode Island. His four grandchildren—Amalia (Junior Arnulfo Gallego Suel), Madgalena, and Tessa Tsiongas, all of Philadelphia, and Edith Comas of Brooklyn, NY, were the loves of his life and who cherished their Papou in return.
Nicholas also leaves behind his brother and sister-in-law Christopher and Margaret Tsiongas of Ormond, FL, sister- and brother-in-law Rita and Angelo Pappas of Bristol, and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother- and sister-in-law Andreas and Evanthia Tsiongas and a niece Elaine Pappas.
Services will be held at Saint Demetrios Church on Thursday August 17 with a wake from 10 AM to 11 AM and the funeral mass thereafter, followed by burial at West Cemetery, Bristol. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 31 Brightwood RD, Bristol, CT 06010.       
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