Joanna Palacas

Joanna Nickas Palacas, 89, died peacefully on Wednesday, January 27th from Covid-19 pneumonia.  Her devoted husband of 65 years, James George Palacas, passed away just two weeks later.  Joanna is survived by her four daughters and their husbands, Helen and Richard Westerfield, Maria and Scott Shannon, Christina and Donald Sweeting, and Joy and Trenton Hubbard, along with fifteen beautiful grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She was affectionately known as Yiayia.

Joanna was born to Greek immigrants Andrew and Mary Nickas in Canton, OH, on January 3, 1932. Her mother was a child survivor of the 1922 Genocide of the Greeks and Armenians in Smyrna, Turkey; her father, a criminal lawyer and WW1 Veteran, was one of the first Greek immigrants to run for state office in Ohio. After losing her dad in a tragic automobile accident in 1935, Joanna and her mother moved to Washington, DC, where she was trained as a classical pianist at American University. When her mother married Peter Vance in 1951 Joanna was blessed with two siblings: a step-sister, Kay Vance Johns, and a step-brother, Andrew “Andy” Vance.  Andy introduced Joanna to a young geologist named Jim Palacas in 1952; the two were married on June 9, 1955 at St. Sofia’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Washington, DC.

In 1963 Jim and Joanna moved to Lakewood, where she would become one of Denver’s most sought after and influential piano teachers, touching the lives of hundreds of young musicians over several decades.  She was also a life-long learner and especially loved studying the Bible and teaching God's Word to all ages.  An exquisite cook, Joanna had the gift of hospitality; her kitchen was always the heart of the family home. Together with her husband and their daughters, she welcomed a never-ending flow of friends, neighbors, students, international scientists and their families, as well as those whom others might have overlooked – widows and widowers, workers around the neighborhood, even complete strangers. The countless games she played with young and old brought such joy and often a feisty competitiveness that always ended with her infectious laugh!
Joanna was a compassionate and non-judgmental listener, a mentor to many and beloved friend to everyone. She exemplified God’s love, mercy and grace to all she encountered.  She leaves an immeasurable legacy in the lives of many people and for the cause of Christ that will echo forever.

One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek:  that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27:4

A memorial service celebrating Joanna and Jim’s life and influence will take place Thursday, March 25th at 10:30 AM, Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church, 10150 E Belleview Ave, Greenwood Village, CO 80111.  All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made here: https://www.ccu.edu/giving/joanna-palacas-piano-schola

You may view the service via live stream by clicking on this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zaVNpULaZg