CHEYENNE, WY –
The Cheyenne community in Wyoming bid farewell to the Hon. Nicholas “Nick” Kalokathis, a respected jurist and beloved member of the Greek‑American community, who passed away on February 25, 2026 at the age of 87 with his wife Carlene by his side.
Funeral Service was held on March 3 at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Cheyenne, WY.
Born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on August 27, 1938, to Greek immigrants, Constantine “Gust” and Penelope Kalokathis, Nicholas Kalokathis built a strong work ethic at an early age, working multiple jobs including a paper route, washing windows at the Mayflower Café, shining shoes, and selling shoes at J.C. Penney.
He earned degrees in electrical engineering and law from the University of Wyoming. After graduating from law school, he was commissioned in the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps, and he then applied to the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. After spending a few years in the U.S. Army, Nick Kalokathis was assigned to the Judge Advocate General’s Office in Washington, D.C. where he practiced patent law at the Pentagon. Following his stint in the “Jag Corps,” he worked for the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and obtained a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from Georgetown University under the G.I. Bill.
Following his tenure in Washington, D.C., he taught law at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA and later became an associate professor at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, CA.
When his father became ill, he moved back to Cheyenne to care for him and worked at the law firm of Lathrop and Rutledge, P.C. He was appointed state district court judge by Gov. Mike Sullivan in July 1987 and served until March 2008.
Nick Kalokathis was a person of tremendous intellect and legal talent. At his core, however, he was a very humble, wise, fair‑minded, and unassuming man. He had a great sense of humor and possessed a knack for giving unfiltered, honest, and straightforward advice which served as a guiding light for many who knew him, especially for his immediate and extended family who will miss him greatly.
He loved to read nonfiction, especially history, and enjoyed fly fishing and golf. He was a member of Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Cheyenne, the Order of AHEPA (Cowboy Chapter), and the Wyoming Bar Association.
He is survived by his wife of thirty-one years, Carlene; his sister, Helen Dudash; his stepchildren, Kevin and Barbara Trautner, Tammy and Gary Gerlacher, and Carol and Stefan Kesler; his niece, Stephanie Dudash Mouat; his niece and goddaughter Georginne Dudash; his great nieces and godchildren Julianna, Nicole and Gavin Mouat. He was preceded in death by his parents, Gust and Penelope, and his sister, Georgia Kalokathis.
May his memory be eternal!
