Constantine (Gus) Louis Mackris

Constantine (Gus) Louis Mackris of St. Louis MO died peacefully on April 6, 2020, two months before his 90th birthday.

Gus was born on June 13, 1930 in St. Louis to Greek immigrants Helen (Thomas) and Louis C. Mackris. He attended Soldan High School where he was an All-Conference Varsity football player and Honorary Co-Captain. Gus went on to play Division I football at the University of Missouri, Columbia and was a member of the 1949 and 1950 Gator Bowl teams.

He received a B.S. in engineering from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Class of 1955, where he also played football and was part of the Co-Big 10 Championship team in 1953.

Upon graduation, Gus began his career at Ingersoll-Rand before launching his own successful business venture as co-owner of The Construction Equipment Company, where he either contributed to or oversaw many major projects throughout the city including the Gateway Arch, Busch Stadium II, Mansion House, the KMOV building, and Lindell Terrace.

Gus was most defined by his unwavering faith, guided by the principle found in Matthew 22:37. He committed his life to Jesus Christ at age 40, was devoted to his Savior and spent many years in Christian ministry. He loved nothing more than reading the Bible, watching the Turner Classic Movie channel, and was an avid fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams.

He was married to Marilyn Sturgis for 30 years and is survived by five children, all of whom surrounded him at his death: Louis Mackris, Frank (Laura) Mackris, Margo (Robert) Muratore, Stefanie (Jeff) Bice and Andrea Mackris. He was the adored grandfather to Peter, Tommy, Jonathan, Molly, Joshua, Alex and Maddie.

He is also survived by his sister Dite, his brother-in-law Ronald Totarsky, and his nephew Ronald Totarsky Jr. He is predeceased by his niece Ana (William) Raines.

Due to the Covid-19 virus, no services have been held. He was buried at St. Matthew Cemetery, where his parents also rest in peace. He will be missed by many and was loved by all.