Photios Vougias

Photios Vougias, age 82, a long-time resident of Manchester, NH passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving family on Monday, March 2, 2026. He was the beloved husband of Joanne (Savvas) Vougias.

Photios was born on October 24, 1943, to Theofilos and Despina (Karathanos) Vougias, and was raised in the mountainous village of Pentalofos of the Kozani prefecture in Macedonia, Greece. It is here that he learned to master the craft of carpentry as an apprentice. As a teenager, he moved to Larissa, Greece with his family as his father needed to find more sustained work. Thereafter he served in the Greek military, and in 1967, he emigrated to the United States. He quickly became enmeshed in the Greek community in Manchester, NH. In November of 1971, he was introduced to his beloved wife, Joanne, in Haverhill, MA, and after a brief one month courtship, they were married on December 12, 1971. Together they cultivated a life built on their Orthodox Christian faith as the foundation of their marriage. They raised three sons and they were blessed to have 54 years with each other in marriage.

Photios was a quiet, kind, and humble man and loved to tell jokes and make others laugh. He worked hard as a carpenter to support his family, often working side jobs on the weekends with his close friend, Angelo Pervanas. Photios was an amateur inventor of sorts as his mind was constantly thinking. He loved to tinker with his tools in the garage in his spare time. He even built his own bouzouki or, Greek guitar, by bending and shaping the wood which formed the base. Photios also looked forward to his by-weekly breakfast gatherings with his breakfast “club” at Pindos Restaurant.

Photios was a long-time member of St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester. He liked to attend Greek dances, picnics and other social gatherings and events. He was also a long-standing member of the Pentalofos Society, which strived to help his home village of Pentalofos through fellowship, education and fundraising. While his Orthodox Christian faith and Greek culture were very important to him, he loved people of all faiths and cultures.

In addition to his loving wife, Photios is survived by his beloved sons, Theofilos Vougias and his wife Angela of Windham, NH, and Vasilios Vougias and his wife Christina of Goffstown, NH. He was the proud Papou of 13 grandchildren: Joanna, Photios, Angelina, Michael, Alexandra, Alyssa, Juliana, Athanasios, Demetrios, Markos, Theofilos, Paisios, and Arsenios. He is also survived by his sister, Theologia Dongas, of Bedford, NH; his brothers-in-law, Stratos and Christos Savvas, and several nieces, nephews and friends.

He was predeceased by his beloved son, Michael Vougias; his parents, Theofilos and Despina, and his brother, Emmanuel, all of blessed memory.

Memorial donations may be made in Photios’ memory to St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 650 Hanover Street, Manchester, NH www.stgeorgenh.org/donate/.

Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, March 5, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 650 Hanover Street, Manchester, NH, followed by his funeral service at 10:00 a.m. at the Cathedral. Interment will be held at Pine Grove Cemetery, Manchester.