Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

Theodore Phillip Sackos died at age 85 at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque, NM. Ted passed away peacefully of natural causes on the morning of July 19, 2016, after a month long hospitalization due to a recurrence of bone cancer and an associated bone fracture.

Ted was born in Worland, Wyoming in 1931 to parents Phillip and Stavrula (Angelos) Sackos. During his early childhood and great depression, he lived in Thermopolis, where he helped support his family by delivering and selling newspapers. In pursuit of difficult to find employment, his father moved the family to Reith, Oregon in 1944, St. Joseph Michigan in 1946, and finally to Stevenson, Washington in 1947. In Stevenson, Ted worked in his parent's restaurant and attended high school, where he excelled in all sports, including football, baseball, and basketball.

In 1952, Ted was inducted into the U.S. Army, and served two years in the Korean War. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Corporal, and received a Combat Infantry Badge, Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, United Nations Service Medal, and a National Defense Service Medal.

In 1956, Ted returned to Worland, where he met and married the love of his life, Marie Ann Argeris. In Worland, he worked for several years in his father in-law's downtown business (Brown's Recreation) that served food, operated card games, and billiard tables. Ted later became an independent insurance agent, first with the AAA Motor Club for seventeen years, and later with a variety of automobile, life and health insurance companies. Ted was a professional card player, a lifelong sports fan, and an avid music lover, and one tremendous salesperson. He lived in his home across the street from Sanders Park for 59 years, where he and his wife raised their family and in their later years together particularly enjoyed their two Rottweiler dogs (Samson and Kojack) which they raised from puppies. He also enjoyed owning and driving vintage Mustang automobiles. Ted was also a lifelong member of the Worland Greek Orthodox Church and local Greek community.

Ted was preceded in death by his parents Phillip and Stavrula, wife Marie, son Phillip, and siblings Tom and Catherine. He is survived by his brother George Sackos (Vancouver, WA), three sons and daughters-in-law: John and Caren Sackos (Albuquerque, NM), Michael and Bopie Sackos (Fayetteville, NC), and Gregory and Milissa Sackos (Paradise Valley, AZ), four grandchildren: Samantha Sackos (San Antonio, TX), Theodore Sackos (Tucson, AZ), Nikki and Theodora Sackos (Paradise Valley, AZ), brother-in-law George Argeris (Cheyenne, WY), and Sister-in-law Helen Argeris (Worland, WY), Nephews: Tawn Argeris (El Mirage, AZ), Brett Argeris (Worland, WY), and Nick Argeris (Florence, AZ), Nieces: Heidi Christianson and Teresa Lancaster (Vancouver, WA) and Jayme Locke (Casper, WY). He also maintained a close association with his cousin Nick State (St' Joseph, MI), and Marie's cousin, George Argeris (Burlingame, CA) and his family: Sue, Marie, and Nick.

A Trisagion and Wake service will be held on Thursday, July 28th at 5:00 PM at the Veile Mortuary Chapel in Worland. The funeral service will be on Friday, July 29th at 10:00am at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, followed by burial at Riverview Cemetery in Worland.