Peter (Gus) Kallas
Peter “Gus” Kallas, 84, of
Stoneham, formerly of Peabody, died on Wednesday,
June 22 at the Bear Hill Nursing Center in Wakefield.Born on January 18, 1921, he was the son of
the late Vasilios P. and Angelina J. (Frangos) Kalavretinos. Mr. Kallas was raised in Peabody and
attended Peabody High School where he was a prominent football and basketball player. He enlisted
in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1941 and retired as a Chief Petty Officer in 1963. On February 11,
1942, at a young age of 21 years, while serving as a fireman on the luxury liner U.S.S. Normandie,
he pulled six civilian workers to safety who were trapped in the burning engine room. He said:
“My first impulse was to jump into the Hudson River, but I stifled it and donned a gas mask”.
When asked why he did not leave the burning ship, he said: “My job as a fireman compelled me to
fight the fire and not leave the others.”A year later, as a Motor Machinist Rate First Class in
the U.S.C.G, he was awarded the Navy & Marine Corps Medal for heroic conduct for his quick and
selfless actions during another raging fire at the Pemberton Supply Pier on July 25, 1943.
Undeterred by the warning of extreme danger, Mr. Kallas hurried along the burning pier and, with
two companions, braved a virtual wall of flame and dense smoke to go aboard a Coast Guard
speedboat moored to the wharf. Standing by while the Coast Guardsmen dove over the side in an
attempt to save a Picket Boat which was already ablaze, he sustained serious burns from the
terrific heat. Still, he succeeded in pulling the two exhausted men aboard and getting them
safely to shore. His gallant actions in saving his two comrades, at great risk to his own life,
was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Naval Service.Mr. Kallas also served five years
on the U.S.S. Courier in Rhodes, Greece from 1955-1961. His family made the journey with him and,
as a result, they were able to strengthen their Greek ancestry. Upon retiring from the U.S.
Coast Guard, he moved he and his family back to Peabody, MA and worked for the Engineering
Department for the City. Mr. Kallas retired from the City of Peabody Sanitation Department in
1985 and was a member of the Laborers’ Union.Mr. Kallas is survived by his wife, Concetta
(Cucurullo) Kallas; two daughters, Julianne Kallas and her husband James Kent of Hamilton, and
Wendy Kallas and her husband Vernon Herzeelle of Beverly; his stepdaughter, Sabrina Toothaker and
her husband Scott of Stoneham; and two grandchildren, Peter Herzeelle of Beverly and Erin
Herzeelle of Cambridge. He also leaves four nieces and one nephew. Mr. Kallas was predeceased by
his former wife, Bertha Dzielnik Kallas; his brother John Kalavretinos; and two sisters, Helen
Jais and Julia Manolakis. He also leaves two beloved dogs, Princess and Rocky.His funeral service
will be held at the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Avenue, Wakefield on Monday at 8:00 P.M.
Friends and family are welcome to visit from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. prior to the service. In lieu
of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart or Lung Associations.
06/24/05 Submitted by: David M. Newell dnewell3@charter.net
