Obituary of Theodore Vrettos

Theodore Ted Vrettos, 85, beloved husband of Vassille (Parianos) Vrettos, and a very well regarded author, died early Saturday evening at the Rosewood Nursing and Rehab Center in Peabody following a brief illness. Born in Peabody, he was a lifelong resident of the city. He was the son of the late Leonidas Leo & Annie (Karabelas) Vrettos. He attended Peabody schools, and graduated from Peabody High School, Class of 1937. As his family heritage goes, being from a family of service in the Priesthood, and with devout faith in the Greek Orthodox Tradition, he dutifully went on to study at Seminary School in Pomfret, CT. He suspended his studies there and enrolled at Suffolk University in Boston from where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He continued his studies at Harvard University where he became interested in Creative Writing. Mr. Vrettos started as a Feature Writer for several magazines and other periodicals. His first teaching assignment was at Northeastern University, and then he went to Salem State College where he founded the Creative Writing Studies. Mr. Vrettos befriended several writers, including John Updike, Lawrence Durell, Steven King, Robert Parker and others as he brought people together for the Eastern Writers Conference. He later went to Simmons College in Boston where he stayed for about 11 years, and hosted the New England Writers Conference. His literary works included The Elgin Affair , Lord Elgin’ s Lady , Hammer on the Sea , The Birds of Winter , Origen , A Shadow of Magnitude , and Alexandria, City of the Western Mind among others. This works are on display at the Sutton Library of the Peabody Institute Library in Peabody, and the George Peabody Institute Library in Danvers. He had a great love for the Greek culture, travel, and was athletic as he played golf along with his wife, and was active in St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church in Peabody. He is survived by: his wife, Vassille (Parianos) Vrettos of Peabody, with whom he shared almost 58 years of marriage; one brother, Peter Vrettos of Stratham, NH, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister, Bessie Panarites, and brothers Louis Vrettos and Charles Vrettos, and a nephew, Emmanuel Valiskakis. His funeral will be held on Wednesday at 9 AM from the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 12 Chestnut St., Peabody, followed by a Funeral Service at 10 AM in St. Vasilios Church, Peabody, to which relatives and friends are kindly invited. A visitation will be held on Tuesday from 7 to 9 PM in the Conway facility. Burial will be in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Peabody. Memorial donations may be made to the St. Vasilios Altar Fund, 7 Paleologos St., Peabody, MA 01960.