CHRIS SAKELAKOS
Late LHS math teacher
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — Late Lynnfield High School math teacher Chris Sakelakos is being remembered for his dedication to his students, colleagues, family and friends.
Sakelakos passed away after a courageous battle with osteosarcoma while surrounded by his family on Sept. 16. He was 45 years old. He began teaching math at LHS in 2008 and was a football coach from 2010-2015.
“Chris was the heart of the high school serving as a dedicated educator and coach who was deeply beloved by his students and colleagues,” said Lynnfield High School Principal Patricia Puglisi.
LHS social studies teacher Paul LaMonica became good friends with Sakelakos, who was nicknamed “Sak.”
“I think I can say that the entire faculty at LHS is devastated by the news of Chris’ passing,” said LaMonica. “There’s a gigantic void that will never be filled.”
LaMonica said he and LHS school counselor Scott Mackenzie spoke with Sakelakos “almost daily” while he was going through cancer treatment.
“Chris never complained about his illness, always choosing to focus on the positive even when things looked dim,” said LaMonica. “I can say with certainty that he tried his hardest to get back into the building because he missed the faculty, but above all, he missed the kids. Chris was an amazing teacher, and his students absolutely loved him. It breaks my heart that current and future students in Lynnfield will never get the chance to have ‘Sak’ as their teacher.”
LaMonica said he and Sakelakos both began teaching at LHS 18 years ago.
“Anyone who knew him knows he was the kind of guy who could make you laugh every single day,” said LaMonica. “And to make someone laugh and to make someone smile, I believe is one of the kindest things you can do for another person. I know Chris did that for his family and friends, but also for me, our colleagues and the students of Lynnfield High School. This one hurts big time.”
Mackenzie agreed.
“Chris believed that building meaningful relationships with his students was the key to getting them to dive into his class curriculum,” said Mackenzie. “And he did this better than anyone else I’ve seen in the 25 years I’ve been here at LHS. His students knew he cared about them as people, and that he was invested in their lives outside of Room 209. What a tremendous loss for us and our kids. Chris was just the best and to work beside him and be his friend for the past 17 years has been an honor.”
Math Department Head Karen Ellis said Sakelakos will be missed greatly by the LHS community and beyond.
“Chris was an exceptional colleague and friend who can never be replaced,” said Ellis. “He never liked to be the center of attention, but he always would contribute a hilarious quip at the perfect moment with the students and his colleagues. He would lend a hand to help someone without being asked. He would stand in the hall between classes and engage with all the students walking by. Chris was the math teacher who could have the fun banter with the students, but still be serious about teaching math to his students and having them understand and succeed. In his classroom, his walls had newspaper articles that were important to him, team photos from the teams he had coached through the years and a wall of student pictures that went back to his first year at Lynnfield High School. The students loved him and many stayed in touch with him after graduation, after college and beyond. His students felt his encouragement and support, and many have reached out to tell me that Mr. Sak was the reason they succeeded and why they pushed themselves to improve. His contributions to the school community cannot be truly measured.”
LHS Class of 2021 graduate Jack Ross said Sakelakos was “a great teacher.”
“I always felt confident in his class and he was a great storyteller,” said Ross.
Sakelakos leaves behind his wife Christina and his daughters Camie and Ava. According to his obituary, he met Christina “at their favorite sports bar, Champions Pub, in Peabody, where many milestones throughout their relationship were celebrated.”
“Most of all, Chris loved spending time with those he loved, especially his two daughters Cami and Ava,” Sakelakos’ obituary states. “Chris was the epitome of a girl dad, and was always excited to paint nails, play dolls, have a tea party and give piggyback rides. The girls were his greatest joy in life, and he will continue to surround them with his love.”
In addition to his wife and daughters, Sakelakos’ parents, Peter and Janet; his sister Andrea; his brother Mark and sister-in-law, Emily; and niece Quinn also survive him. He also leaves behind many aunts, uncles, cousins, colleagues and friends.
The School Committee held a moment of silence in honor of Sakelakos during a recent meeting.
“Chris was a math teacher at LHS for many years and a beloved member of the Lynnfield Public Schools community,” said School Committee Chair Kristen Grieco Elworthy. “He will be missed and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Superintendent Tom Geary also paid tribute to Sakelakos during the meeting.
“I want to offer my and the district’s condolences to Chris and his family, especially his wife Christina and his girls Cami and Ava,” said Geary. “To be blunt, it has been a really hard past few days at our high school since we got the news of Chris’ passing. ‘Sak,’ as he was known, was a terrific educator. He had been a football coach for here for awhile, and he was a friend to so many staff members and former students. He was a great guy with a big personality. He was someone so many people loved to be around.”
Geary said he was “really proud of our high school staff and the way they helped each other” after Sakelakos lost his battle with cancer.
“There is no formula when you are working through something like this,” said Geary. “As an individual, you just have to go where your emotions take you. They were there for one another.”
Geary said Puglisi and LHS Assistant Principal Mike McLeod “did a phenomenal job” leading the staff while they were grieving Sakelakos’ passing.
“I just really want to recognize how proud I am as a leader watching everyone come together and show up for each other during this difficult time,” said Geary. “Whether it was having conversations about Chris’ memory, covering one another’s classes or just giving a shoulder for a colleague to cry on.”
In order to allow Sakelakos’ friends and colleagues to attend his funeral service at Community Covenant Church on Sept. 24, Geary informed the Villager that the district utilized “a combined effort for the day where some teachers who didn’t attend services were willing to give up their prep period that day to cover classes.”
“Various district and school level administrators/service providers also reworked their schedules to ensure we had coverage for the day,” said Geary. “It was a full team effort.”
School Committee member Jamie Hayman said during the meeting that it was “all hands on deck” on Sept. 24 when Sakelakos’ funeral was held.
“I know you were covering classes as well,” Hayman said to Geary. “Thank you to all who made it possible for everyone to attend that memorial who wanted to go.”
Geary said Puglisi “led the way juggling things around.”
“Our staff deserved the opportunity to go, and we were going to make that happen for them,” said Geary. “I’m glad we were able to do that.”