Reading, PA – Gust Kraras has lived a life as a dedicated member and Psalti of two Greek Orthodox communities, St. Demetrios in Wildwood, NJ and St. Constantine and Helen in Reading, PA.
Born in the mountains of Nafpaktos, Greece, his journey to becoming an American citizen begins with a twist. In 1938, he left his secluded village in Nafpaktos, Greece, for America to join his father. Just five years later, at the age of 24, he found himself fighting in WWII for America against the Germans in Epirus, Greece.
An active member of the AHEPA, he is well known for hosting the famed AHEPA summer weekends in Wildwood, New Jersey, for some 30 years. Today, at the age of 94, he still goes to the office daily and spends much of his time on projects that preserve the history of his church.