Loving husband and father Nicholas Kanaracus, 68, of Worcester, died peacefully at home on July 21 after a short battle with cancer, one he waged with the steadfastness and grace he exhibited throughout life. He will be dearly missed by his wife, Kathleen Kanaracus (Clancey); three sons, Matt and wife Karen LeDuc; Christopher and Dana; and two daughters, Melissa and her fiance Hirotake Yamamoto, Amanda and her companion Mark Millis; two grandchildren, Daniel and Henry; his older brother, Stavros and his family, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was born in Worcester, the son of Arthur S. and Katherine (Karcasinas) Kanaracus. As the son of a public school teacher, Nicholas placed high importance on education and awareness of the world, qualities he instilled in his five children.
He is a graduate of South High School, Quinsigamond Community College and Worcester State College where he was active in journalism and social movements. He worked as a typesetter and compositor through many changing technologies, from Linotype and digital typesetting, to web development at Eastern Research Group in Lexington where he worked for 20 years, where he leaves many friends and colleagues.
Nicholas lived in constant motion, by working tirelessly to support his large family, and through his passion for running. He ran over 40 marathons, including a personal best of 2:49, and is a past president of the Central Mass Striders running club, member of the Greater Lowell Road Runners, and organized many high-profile road races. Along with his close friend Bob Dio, last year Nicholas embarked on a quest to run all 500 miles of Worcester’s streets and made great headway until his health began to fail. Nicholas enjoyed spending relaxing time in his vacation home, the “Snug Harbor" in Maine.
American Civil War history was another lifelong fascination for Nicholas, who was president of the Civil War Roundtable of Central Massachusetts. He was a particular admirer of President Abraham Lincoln, and one of Lincoln’s quotes stands out in regard to Nicholas: “In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”
Calling hours are Monday, July 25 from 4 to 7 p.m. at O’Connor Brothers Funeral Home, 592 Park Avenue, Worcester. Funeral services begin Tuesday, July 26 at 11:00 a.m. in the funeral home. Burial will follow in Hope Cemetery.