Gus John Caras

Gus John Caras, 85, passed away on Tuesday, January 28, 2014 after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. Mr. Caras was born in the village of Karitsa in Evrytania Greece on January 20, 1929. He came to the United States in 1947 at the age of 18, living with his aunt and uncle in Gainesville Georgia, where he attended Riverside Military Academy. He served in the United States Army for two years at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Following his military service, he attended The Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering in 1958 and a master's degree in Information and Computer Science in 1967. He began his career as a chemist with Thiokol Corporation in Huntsville, Alabama, and also worked for the Army Missile Command designing rocket propellants. He moved to Atlanta with his family in 1966 and worked as a statistician for many years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, retiring in 1992. He also taught courses in mathematics, statistics, and computer science for many years at Georgia State University and DeKalb College. Gus was very proud of his Greek heritage, and he raised his family in the Greek tradition. He made frequent visits to Greece and maintained homes in his childhood village and in Athens. He was a lifelong member of the Greek Orthodox Church and a member of the Evrytanian Association of America. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, traveling, and watching Georgia Tech football. Gus was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, friend, and teacher. He touched many lives and will be missed by so many people. Gus is survived by his wife of 56 years, Dorothy Beam Caras; their son, John Caras and his wife, Deborah of Dunwoody, GA, their daughter Vicki Caras Bitzis of Sandy Springs, GA, and their daughter Lisa Caras Taylor and her husband, Kevin of Greenville, SC; six grandchildren, Constantine (Charles) Caras, Maria Caras, Nicholas Bitzis, Benjamin Taylor, Lily Taylor, and Cate Taylor; his sister, Marianthi Contos of Columbia, SC; his brother, James Caras of Atlanta, GA; and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 2500 Clairmont Road, N.E.; Atlanta, GA 30329. Funeral services will be held at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 2500 Clairmont Road, N.E.; Atlanta, GA at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, February 3, 2014. Immediately following the service, interment will take place at Greenwood Cemetery, 1173 Cascade Circle, S.W.; Atlanta, GA. The family will receive friends on Sunday, February 2, 2014 from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm, with prayer service at 4:00 p.m at A. S. Turner and Sons Funeral Home.


Funeral Home:
A.S. Turner
2773 N. Decatur Road
Decatur, GA
30033