Rev. James Tsoulos was a big man any way one looked at it–his physical frame, his benevolent heart, his love of God, his tone of voice and his feisty Greek spirit.
Doing everything big was a prerequisite for working with 30,000 convicted felons over the years. At Joliet and Stateville Correctional Centers, where Father Tsoulos ministered, he built a reputation as an innovative chaplain for inmates of all religious denominations.
Father Tsoulos, 49, died Thursday, Feb. 17, in his Downers Grove home after a battle with stomach and esophagus cancer.
Father Tsoulos was born in Chicago and grew up an altar boy at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church on the West Side. He found comfort and solace in the church, especially after his father died of a heart attack when he was 13.
He entered the University of Illinois at Chicago around 1975 and studied pharmacy for a year and a half. He transferred to Boston College and continued to study pharmacy. But after a semester, he decided to enter Hellenic College in Brookline, Mass., where he received a bachelor’s degree. He received a master’s degree at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, also in Brookline.
“He was an extremely intelligent person,” said his wife, Mary, whom he had met in 1976. They married two years later. “He truly loved life, had a robust laugh about him and an ingratiating smile.”
After being ordained a Greek Orthodox priest in 1980, Father Tsoulos was assigned to churches in Kansas City, Kan., and Waterloo, Iowa. In 1987, Father Tsoulos, with his wife and their two sons, William and Mark, moved back to Illinois.
In 1989, Father Tsoulos began a 16-year career with the Illinois Department of Corrections. He took care of inmates with religious dietary restrictions, organized mass and prayer services, redesigned Stateville’s mailing system and coordinated volunteer programs.
He also headed Stateville’s Publication Review Board. Father Tsoulos would scan every book and magazine sent to inmates for its content. If he deemed the publication too seedy or inappropriate for prison, Father Tsoulos would return it to the sender.
He was especially proud of organizing Stateville’s gospel choir and band. His love of music stemmed from his teen years, when he played saxophone and clarinet for his school band.
Outside of his work at the prisons, Father Tsoulos was assigned to St. George Church in DeKalb.
“He wouldn’t have wanted to do anything else. He was absolutely satisfied with his life as a minister,” said his son William. “If he wasn’t my dad, I would have wanted to know him anyway.”
Services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 893 Church Rd., Elmhurst.
