Panagiotakos (l) and Demetroulakos in 1978 and 2003

The tough, assertive point guard is now a lawyer and a state senator. The wiry, determined forward is now an ear, nose and throat doctor and a children’s Web site creator. Basketball teammates as youth league players and co-captains at Andover, Steven Panagiotakos and James Demetroulakos are members of the bicentennial Class of 1978 at Phillips Academy and sons of Greek families in nearby Lowell. Each places his high school experiences prominently among the factors that helped him take on new challenges and build successful experiences as an adult. Each has shown the courage, determination and confidence to venture beyond the safe and familiar, making a commitment to hard work and unselfishness in order to give back to his community.

While Panagiotakos played football and Demetroulakos soccer at Andover, their great passion was for basketball. The 1977 team was particularly strong, with one co-captain, Panagiotakos, controlling things at the point and the other, Demetroulakos, running the floor and banging the boards. Coach Paul Kalkstein ’61 recalls the energy, talent and hard work of that team, but also the pleasure they brought to the court. Along with victories came “just about the best fun anyone could have on a basketball court,” said Kalkstein.

Panagiotakos and Demetroulakos were not only teammates but also roommates, first in Stimson and then for two years in Stuart with Paul and Marnie Kalkstein as house counselors. In addition to many athletic memories, including stickball on the Great Lawn, the two have fond recollections of adults in the community. They studied Elizabethan history with the late Mary Minard ’55, received great support from their college counselor, Robin Crawford, and developed deep respect for Paul Kalkstein, whom they label a great teacher, a wonderful coach and a fine human being.

Saying “the biggest advantage” of coming to Andover was being around so many people from widely different backgrounds, Panagiotakos joined the Afro-Latino-American Society, becoming one of the few white members of the group. He built a strong record as a student-athlete and was awarded the Abbot Stevens Prize for “character and leadership.”

Demetroulakos excelled in math and science at Andover but said he was “ill-prepared” for Competence, the 10th-grade English course, his biggest hurdle as a student. He not only met that challenge successfully but on graduation day was awarded the Aurelian Honor Society Prize for “sterling character, high scholarship and forceful leadership.”

Panagiotakos continued his education at Harvard, where he majored in history. Later, he attended Suffolk University Law School and earned a degree in 1989. Soon after establishing his law practice in Lowell, Panagiotakos became increasingly concerned about his city’s school system. A friend, hearing him complain about the School Committee’s decisions, urged him to run for the board. Panagiotakos entered the race, and being given “no chance” of winning by the local newspaper only stoked his competitive spirit. He was elected to the School Committee, and, after two terms, ran for the state legislature against a strong incumbent. Victorious in his 1993 bid for the Massachusetts House, he is now in his fourth term as state senator from the First Middlesex District.

Living in Lowell with his wife, Christine, and their two daughters, Panagiotakos works hard to be a hero to his constituents. He has helped to find funding for Lowell’s Tsongas Arena and LeLacheur Park and has promoted the building of quality, affordable housing in Lowell. He says his most satisfying project was the rebuilding of Route 3, which involved an innovative design and was finished years ahead of schedule.

Demetroulakos entered Brown and embarked on a seven-year program leading to a medical degree. There he took up crew and earned a spot in the first boat. “Andover gave me the confidence to try something different,” says Demetroulakos, who rowed competitively for several years and was invited to the U.S. Olympic trials in 1984. “I can’t speak enough about how Andover taught me to strike a balance between athletics and academics. In medical school, I was rowing competitively and felt that the physical activity also helped me academically.” After his residency at Georgetown University Hospital, Demetroulakos served in the Air Force for four years and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. His medical practice is located on Boston’s North Shore, where he lives with his wife, Pam, and their three children. In addition, he teaches medical students and residents as a member of the clinical faculty at Harvard Medical School and the Uniformed Services School of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md.

In a venture having more to do with literature than medicine, Demetroulakos has helped create Bedtimeheroes.com, a Web site that features biographies of famous people for parents to share with their children. The site is continually growing, and the range of heroes is already marvelously diverse: from Ghandi to Gretzky, from Mother Teresa to Leonardo da Vinci and from Jackie Robinson to Jane Addams.

Jimmy D and Pangy no longer play ball, but they remain good friends who share inspirations from the past and goals for the future. Panagiotakos reflects the feelings of both when he says, “Helping others has to be part of your life. No matter how successful you think you are, you’re not accomplishing much unless you’re helping other people.”

—Andy Cline
Andy Cline is sports information director.