Alumnus Very Reverend Archimandrite Seraphim Poulos (John Poulos) fell asleep in the Lord on Friday, July 27, in his hometown of Ithaca, NY. Fr. Seraphim, who had battled cancer, was 68.
Fr. Seraphim was born in Groton, NY on May 26, 1950, and at the age of 2 his family moved to Ithaca. He graduated from Ithaca High School in 1969 and attended St. Vladimir's Seminary from 1971 to 1974 in what was then known as the Collegiate Division. During those years he also worked on his bachelor’s degree at Iona College. Fr. Seraphim later obtained a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Fr. Seraphim served several parishes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and moved back to the Ithaca area when he retired. After the priest at St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church in Ithaca retired, His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit asked Fr. Seraphim to become the parish priest there. Fr. Seraphim served at St. Catherine until July 15 of this year, when he announced that he was getting too weak from his cancer to continue presiding over Divine Liturgy.
“I knew Fr. Seraphim quite well and have very fond memories of him at St. Vladimir’s Seminary,” said Ted Bazil, senior advisor for Advancement at the Seminary. “He was a kind, witty, and joyful person and was well-liked by students and faculty. May God bless his memory!”
Fr. Seraphim is survived by his two sisters, Katherine (John) Poulos Van Markwyk and Stella (Toula) Poulos Chronis, an aunt, nieces, nephews, cousins, godchildren, and a multitude of loyal parishioners from the many parishes he served while in the priesthood.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, August 1 from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. at St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church, Ithaca, NY. Trisagion services will be held at 7 p.m. Orthos will begin at 8 a.m. on Thursday, August 2 followed by Divine Liturgy at 9 a.m. The funeral service will begin immediately following the Divine Liturgy. Burial will be held at Lakeview Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, Fr. Seraphim has requested memorial contributions to be made to St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church, Hospicare of Tompkins County, or St. Jude’s Research Children’s Hospital.
Sections of this article have been reprinted from Bangs Funeral Home’s website.
