The Guardian 18 June, 2008
Obituary
Theo Tsaknakis
Denis Doherty
Theo died on 8 June after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He knew for a long time that his days were numbered and he faced the prospect of his death with courage and with, as someone described it, "cheeky good humour". We had our last argument about whether to have a commemorative meeting for him. He definitely did not want it. Why? "I am a nobody", he said, but finally agreed, "do what you want. I’ll be dead anyway". So with a wave of his hand that topic was dismissed.
He was much more interested in what was going on politically both inside and outside the party. Right to the end he was giving advice, admonishing and urging people either to join the party or if they were in it to work better.
Theo was not a literary man and a search of his belongings did not reveal a hidden novel or a treatise on politics. Instead he was a talker, didn’t he love to talk? When he was with you he was explaining, asking for news or giving out his wisdom. When he wasn’t with you he would ring you. He would make and receive calls at all times of the day and night and he loved it. As soon as he went into hospital we had to give out the phone number at his bedside.
Theo was born in Greece and raised near the town of Katerini, near Mt. Olympus in Northern Greece. He lived in a rough era of Greek life which spanned the Nazi invasion, the Greek Civil War and the regime of the Generals. He did not talk much about this period of his life. He came to Australia in 1969 a qualified or at least an experienced cook and worked firstly, in first his own restaurant and then in clubs and take away food bars.
He loved to be active. If he could, he would run to places and say "I need the exercise". He seldom accepted lifts and if he did would ask to be let out three or four kilometres from home so he could run. He seldom drank tea or coffee and was disgusted when we started work if I said "I can’t start without tea". I would get a withering look but he would wait to start whatever it was we were doing.
He was extremely proud that the President of Cyprus is now a communist and his eyes gleamed with delight at the news.
He knew along with the poet Alice Maynall that Socialism is growing and is the only alternative to a world where people starve and die. He was confident about the future, confident that socialism is growing, delighted by the developments in Venezuela, Ecuador and other parts of Latin America. He shared the ideas of English poet Alice Maynall who wrote that socialism:
Is like the red, red rose
Day by day it grows
It roots are ever spreading
And its sweetness never goes
And soon I think its petals
Will the whole world enclose.
Theo was not interested in the trappings of this society — a few basic clothes, a telephone plus the Party and he was happy. He rebelled against accumulation and devoted his energies to the Party and the working class.
He would do whatever was asked of him. He would discuss political events, stuff envelopes, carry boxes, hand out leaflets, argue about tactics in a campaign, carry a banner, stand at a stall and more — all with the same patience and tenacity. He never missed a meeting or a demonstration. He was just always there.
A friend of ours said: "I don’t know him very well. I just know he would always be at the demonstration on time and ready to help. It won’t be the same, arriving and not seeing him there. I will miss him."
He once told me that he had done everything that he could to stay healthy — eating good food, Greek of course, no alcohol and little amounts of tea or coffee, exercise and definitely no smoking. Yet he contracted cancer when he was in his vigorous sixties. He wanted to do more but he was struck down by ill-luck.
Theo devoted his life and his energies to the betterment of the working class of Australia, to the Greek community in this city and others. He fought ceaselessly against the rotten Howard Government and its anti people laws. He worked for peace, for social justice and for socialism. He lived a truly worthwhile life.
Theo, lived humbly, simply and without arrogance or pride, but with courage, principles, commitment and hope.
Theo’s memory will be honoured if we are active in our community, our union, a peace or environmental organisation, a community group or, above all, in the Communist Party.