Konstantin Prokos
Konstantin Prokos
JACKSON, Mich. — Konstantin Prokos, 81, died Tuesday, Feb. 5 in Jackson, Mich. He was born on Aug. 3, 1937 in Escanaba, Mich., where he grew up with his four older brothers. As a young man, he attended Midwestern Broadcasting School in Chicago. His early broadcasting career included jobs at WDBC Radio 680 in Escanaba and WLUC-TV in Marquette. He worked his way through college doing broadcasting work, and as a social worker for the State of Michigan.
After earning his bachelor’s degree from Oakland University and master’s degree in English from Central Michigan University, he taught for three years at the University of Kentucky-Hazard Community College. He moved to Flint to teach at CS Mott Community College for the remainder of his teaching career, retiring in 1995. While in Flint, he created a weekly one-minute radio show that aired for five years on WFBE Flint called “A Word in Edgewise, in which he discussed the roots of a word or phrase. He later published a book based on the series, A Word in Edgewise–Brief Essays on English.”
An accomplished artist, Konstantin maintained a painting studio at various locations in Jackson, most recently with the JAZ (Jackson Art Zone) Group on North Jackson Street. His work has been shown in galleries in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Evanston, and in numerous Michigan locations. His paintings are currently on display in a solo show, “Image as Idea,” at the Ella Sharp Museum in Jackson through March 3.
Konstantin was also a poet. In addition to the poems that appeared in magazines over the years, in 2016 he published a book of poetry, “Parsing Imagination — Selected Poems.”
Konstantin is preceded in death by his parents, George and Kyriakoula (nee Petrolekas) Prokos and an older brother, Nicholas Prokos. He is survived by his wife, Christine Lund Prokos; son, Konstantin Prokos (Christa); daughter, Anastasia Prokos (Geoff Holden); grandson, Anastasios (Taso) Prokos; and three brothers, Charles (Rene), Jim (Tula), and John (Darlene). Also surviving him are many nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made in Konstantin’s name to the Foundation for Mott Community College, Flint, Mich., to benefit graduating students planning to further their careers at four-year institutions with majors in fine arts or music; Ella Sharp Museum, Jackson, Mich.; and to the Dahlem Conservancy in Jackson, Mich. A celebration of Konstantin’s life will be held at a later date.