DRACUT-Dr. Christos Daoulas, 85, civic leader, educator, former superintendent of the Dracut Massachusetts School System and a lifelong resident of Dracut, died Sunday, March 4th in Saints Medical Center, after an illness.
He was born on January 21, 1922 in Lowell, a son of Greek immigrants, the late Vasilios and the late Evangelia (Pappas) Daoulas who settled in Dracut before his birth. Dr. Daoulas graduated as valedictorian of the Dracut High School, class of 1939. Thereafter, he served in the United States Army Corps Engineers as a medic during World War II.
Following his service in the Army, Dr. Daoulas received his bachelor, master and doctorial degrees in education from Boston University. After a decade that saw him rise from a science teacher, girl's basketball coach and athletic director and school principal at the Dracut High School, Dr. Daoulas was appointed superintendent in 1962, a position that he held until his retirement in 2000. Over the course of his remarkable career, Dr. Daoulas was a constant presence at countless athletic events, school committee meetings, and civic functions. It is estimated that he wrote more than 12,000 letters of recommendation for college bound seniors, a reflection of his deep, personal commitment to his students throughout the years.
In October 2005, in recognition of service as the town's longest serving superintendent, Dracut named its cornerstone four-school campus the "Dr. Christos Daoulas Education Complex". When informed of the town's decision, Dr. Daoulas observed that it should not be viewed as a tribute to his career or the accomplishments of the past, but as an indication of the town's ongoing commitment to education. "It is in reality a reflection of what these students and these teachers working together have accomplished", Dr. Daoulas said in an interview prior to the dedication. At the dedication ceremony, Dr. Daoulas told the more than 200 assembled that "Our students realize the community will always be there because it is the Dracut Way. The educational complex offers an adventure that will carry many of our students far beyond the borders of our town."
He had the honor of having two awards named after him, the Christos Daoulas Award given by the Association of School Superintendents annually to acknowledge the most outstanding superintendent of schools in the state of Massachusetts and the Christos Daoulas Award for Excellence in Spelling, given by The Sun Spelling Bee.
Dr. Daoulas was a member of the Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church. He was an avid sports enthusiast. In his free time he enjoyed traveling, classical music and the theater.
He is survived by two brothers, Retired Army Col. Arthur Daoulas and his wife Elaine of Alexandria, VA and James Daoulas and his wife Sultana of Pembroke; two sisters, Dorothea Husson of Lowell and Effie Rombakis of Houston, TX; ten nephews and nieces; 17 grandnephews and grandnieces.
Dr. Daoulas was also the brother of the late Mary Daoulas and the brother-in-law of the late John Husson and the late Socrates Rombakis.
Friends may call at the DRACUT FUNERAL HOME, 2159 Lakeview Avenue, DRACUT on Friday from 3:00 until 8:00 PM. His funeral will be held from the funeral home on Saturday at 8:30 AM followed by his Funeral Service at 10 AM at the Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Lowell. Burial in Westlawn Cemetery in Lowell. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his name to the Dracut Scholarship Foundation, P.O. Box 117, Dracut, MA 01826 or the Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church, Fr. John Sarantos Way, Lowell, MA 01854.