MARLBOROUGH - Dr. Monthe N. Kofos, a local optometrist and an institution in Marlborough for over 60 years, has passed away after an illness at Marlborough Hospital, Monday, Sept. 15, 2008, surrounded by his family, which was inspired by his grace and dignity as his earthly life came to a close. He was the loving and devoted husband of Kathryn G. (Douvas) Kofos for the last 57 years.
"Doc" Kofos, as he was affectionately known, was born on Jan. 18, 1921, in White River Junction, Vt., and raised in Newport, Vt., where he attended his first three years of high school. He played quarterback for the football team, guard for the basketball team and he threw the javelin for the track team. When the family moved, he attended his senior year at Lowell High School, where he graduated in 1940.
Later that year, he enrolled in the Massachusetts College of Optometry. Due to WWII, he was able to accomplish four years of college in three years so that he could enlist and serve his country in the war. By 1944, Doc Kofos was in the Navy serving in the Philippines and was honorably discharged in 1946.
In 1946, he opened his first office on Main Street in Marlborough. It was then that Dr. Kofos began his longstanding professional service to the first of several generations of patients. He saw thousands of patients in his 62-year career, ranging in ages from only a few months to well over 100 years old, and he saw nearly every type of vision-related problem know to man in that time.
As a member of the American Optometric Association and Massachusetts Society of Optometry, Dr. Kofos ran golf tournaments for many years for the New England Council of Optometrists and for the Foster Namias Scholarship fund of the New England College of Optometry.
In 1946, Dr. Kofos became a member of the Order of AHEPA. This National Hellenic-based charitable organization, founded in 1922, served to define a large part of Doc's extracurricular life. Always a firm believer in education, in 1951 he began the Marlborough AHEPA Chapter's first Scholarship Award of $50, to be given to a high school student. Today, the Marlborough Chapter Scholarship Fund gives away over $17,000 annually to deserving high school and college students. Dr. Kofos was still the Scholarship Chairman 57 years later at the time of his death. In 1959, Dr. Kofos was elected president of his local AHEPA Chapter. For the past 37 years, he served as chairman of the Chapter's Golf Tournament with the proceeds from this tournament being used to help fund the AHEPA's charitable programs, including food baskets for those in need at both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Equally important to Dr. Kofos in the development of future leaders was the role of athletics. In 1968, he was elected as National Athletic Director of AHEPA. In a short time, he developed a national athletic program that eventually consisted of basketball, golf, track and field, tennis, skiing and softball on the local, district and national levels. He was responsible for running thousands of games and matches in hundreds of tournaments in his 40 years on the job. In fact, this past July, at the AHEPA National Convention in Greece, Doc was just re-elected to another one-year term, which he was approaching with the same zeal and enthusiasm as he did his first term.
Always proud of the accomplishments of athletes with Hellenic heritage, in 1974 Dr. Kofos started what is believed to be the first ethnic Sports Hall of Fame in the United States.
A devoted parishioner of Sts. Anargyroi Greek Orthodox Church in Marlborough, Dr. Kofos served that community in many capacities over his decades-long membership. Since 1986, he has served as chairman of the Church Finance Committee which has overseen the acquiring of property adjacent to the Church so that a new Parish Hall can be built. Doc has also been the chairman of the Building Fund Golf Tournament since he started this tournament in 2002. He was also instrumental in running an annual golf tournament to raise funds for the Hellenic Camp and Retreat Center which serves the youth of the New England diocese.
In 2005, recognizing his devotion and contribution to his religion, Metropolitan Methodios, the head of the New England Diocese, awarded Dr. Kofos its annual Diocese Award, which was presented to him at a special dinner in front of 1,000 in attendance.
A great humanitarian, Dr. Kofos was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Supreme AHEPA Lodge in 2003 and in 2007, he was awarded the AHEPA Medal of Freedom Award, making him one of only four people to receive this award in AHEPA's 85-year history. In 1982, he was elected to the AHEPA Hellenic Athletic Hall of Fame.
A devoted husband, father and grandfather, he took special pleasure in the accomplishments, personal academics and athletics of his six grandchildren.
Besides his wife, he leaves two sons, Dr. Nicolas Kofos, and his wife, Cyndi, of Marlborough, Matthew G. Kofos, and his wife, Tina, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., and a daughter, Kathy A. Woodhouse of Sterling; two sisters, Cleo Agahigian of Marlborough and Helen Clasby of Southborough; six grandchildren, Monthe N., Zachary J. and Leah A. Kofos, all of Marlborough, Kevin Woodhouse of Sterling, and Matthew R. and Sophia Kofos, both of Port St. Lucie; and several nephews and nieces.
His funeral will be held Friday, Sept.19, at 9 a.m., from the Fitzgerald & Collins Funeral Home (www.SFCFH.com), 378 Lincoln St., Marlborough, with a Mass at 10 a.m., at Sts. Anargyroi Greek Orthodox Church, corner Central and Cashman Streets. Burial with military honors will follow in Evergreen Cemetery, Wilson Street, Marlborough. Calling hours will be held Thursday, Sept. 18, from 5 to 9 p.m., at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Sts. Anargyroi Greek Orthodox Church Building Fund, Box 381, Marlborough, MA 01752.