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The Pastris Family: Hard Work Pays Off

Marple Friends & Neighbors, April 2022
Chanda and Evangelo Pastris

This month we are pleased to introduce you to the Pastris Family: Evangelo, Chanda, Nicholas and Alexandra. If there is one thing this family knows, it’s that hard work pays off.

Both Evangelo and Chanda grew up in Broomall and they are both proud Marple Newtown High School (MNHS) graduates. Although they’ve known each other since middle school and were friends in high school, they didn’t start dating until much later.

Chanda attended Worrall Elementary, Paxon Hollow Middle School and graduated from MNHS in 1990. Growing up with her family in a house near Worrall made for an ideal childhood. She was able to walk to school with the neighborhood kids, and after school and on weekends, she and her friends played outside until it was dark or they got called in for dinner. Evangelo grew up on the other side of town with his parents and sisters in the Lawrence Park section of Broomall. He went to Loomis Elementary, Paxon Hollow and eventually MNHS, graduating the same year as Chanda. Both Chanda and Evangelo were active at Marple. In fact, they were both on the spring track team. During the fall season, Chanda played field hockey while Evangelo played soccer.

Chanda was interested in fashion and design, so after high school she decided to further her education at Drexel University, earning a degree in Business Merchandising in 1994. After college, she landed a job for Kohl’s stores in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As a visual designer for the company, she trained visual merchandisers on how to dress mannequins and create on-floor designs. “I loved the ability to be so creative,” said Chanda. “It was like being given a blank canvas!”

Meanwhile, Evangelo earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from West Chester University. As a college student, Evangelo worked to pay for his own tuition by bussing tables at a local restaurant and working as a valet at the Newtown Squire. “My mom and dad had a strong work ethic and instilled that in me,” Evangelo explained. “I watched how hard my parents worked to raise a family with good values and I wanted to do the same thing.” After graduating in 1995, he began his career by working in the mortgage industry.

It wasn’t until Chanda and Evangelo were out of college that their paths crossed again. When they were in their early twenties, both enjoyed going out to the popular nightclubs on Delaware Avenue in Philadelphia. As fate would have it, they were both out with friends at Club Egypt when they reconnected. Evangelo made sure to get Chanda’s number before the night was over, and the rest is history. They married in 1999, not only at the same church where Evangelo’s parents were married, St. George Orthodox Greek Cathedral in Philadelphia, they were even married by the same priest. After a honeymoon in Aruba, the newly married couple settled in Exton, which was close to both of their jobs at the time. 

When Chanda and Evangelo were first married, they took a fabulous trip to Greece. They were able to explore many of the islands, including Limnos, where Evangelo’s dad was born and lived until he was 16. “What made the trip really special was getting to connect with some of Evangelo’s family and friends who still lived in Greece,” said Chanda. “We really got to know the people and learned so much about their life on the island.” Evangelo and Chanda were eager to take their own children there last year, but due to COVID-19, they had to postpone. “We are looking forward to someday bringing our kids there, and we’d love to bring our father-in-law too so that he can reconnect with his family,” Chanda added. Thankfully, before the pandemic, the Pastris’s were able to enjoy trips to various tropical places, including two trips to Turks and Caicos and many trips to the Jersey shore.

Alexandra and Nicholas Pastris with Zeke

Over the years, life led both Chanda and Evangelo down different career paths than they had originally planned. When Chanda’s children were young, she stayed home with them and played an active role in their schools and extracurricular activities. “I was very lucky to have that time with the kids when they were little,” Chanda said. “When I decided to return to work, I found a job that I am passionate about, but is totally different from what I was doing after college.” She now works for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. “We focus on creating an internal culture which values and serves all employees,” she said. “We also take our responsibility to serve our customers and community very seriously.” Chanda is also an ambassador of the PA Turnpike Women’s Network, which combines both of these elements. “I am able to connect with women all across our system,” Chanda explained. “Currently, our women’s network is working to bring awareness to the problem of human trafficking.” This initiative provides victims and those who travel our roadways the tools they need to take the appropriate action when a case of human trafficking is suspected.

When Chanda isn’t working, she can be found in the kitchen. “If I had the time, I’d spend all day in the kitchen cooking and listening to Frank Sinatra,” she said. The combination of her Italian background and her father-in-law’s experience as a chef have inspired her to experiment with new dishes. “My father-law doesn’t really use recipes,” she explained. “It’s a pinch of this…a pinch of that!  I like to take some of the Greek dishes he makes and add a little Italian flair to them.”

Just as Chanda’s father-law influenced her in the kitchen, her own father had an influence on Evangelo’s career change. What began 22 years ago as temporarily helping out his father-in-law at his jewelry store eventually led to Evangelo becoming a jeweler and certified diamond gemologist. Started by Chanda’s father Michael more than 30 years ago, Lauria Jewelers buys, crafts and sells jewelry that keeps customers coming back to celebrate all of their special occasions. Sadly Chanda’s dad passed away in 2012, but Evangelo has been able to continue producing the same quality products and strives to continue his legacy on jewelers row in Philadelphia. He’s also enjoyed the career shift from a desk job to a customer-driven one.“As a jeweler, I’ve met people who have become lifelong friends,” said Evangelo. “I love seeing the children of longtime customers come back to make their own purchases. It’s so rewarding to see all of the generations come through.” 

Alexandra and Nicholas Pastris with Zeke

The Pastris’s have two children, Nicholas (Nick) and Alexandra, both of whom attended Marple Newtown schools. Chanda and Evangelo said they are proud of how hard both of their kids work every day. “As parents we’ve tried to instill in them the same work ethic that Chanda and I had growing up,” said Evangelo. “There are no guarantees in life,” added Chanda. “We’ve always tried to be role models and show our children that you have to work for what you want.”

Nick graduated from MNHS in 2019. Known as the life of the party, Nick’s parents said that he has been a people person since he was a young boy. “He’d ride his big wheel over to the neighbor’s house as soon as he saw him come home from work just to ask him how his day was,” his mom explained. “He was known in the neighborhood as ‘the Mayor.’” 

The Pastris Family’s Weimaraner, Zeke

Nick now works as a teaching assistant for kindergarten through fifth grade at The Shipley School. Always passionate about working with children, he worked with elementary-age kids at Shipley for his senior project when he was a student at Marple. He enjoyed it so much that he began working there full-time after he graduated. At night, Nick works as a bartender. “I just love talking to people,” said Nick. “Bartending is the perfect job for me.” He even has a signature cocktail, the Scooby Snack.

Alexandra is a determined, kind and hardworking senior at MNHS who recently committed to the University of Delaware in the fall. Education is her top priority and she works hard to maintain a 4.0 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society. An accomplished springboard diver, Alexandra is captain of MNHS’s dive team and dives year-round with the USA and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Dive teams. Whether it’s in the classroom, the weight room or on the diving board, Alexandra puts the work in. 

It’s been an exciting diving season for Alex as she broke the Delaware County record three times and her own record five times. Diving since the age of seven, she first got into the sport when she was on the swim and dive team for the Rose Tree Woods Swim Club. “I love the adrenaline that I get from the sport of diving,” she said. “It’s so scary to try new dives, but once you do, it’s a great feeling of accomplishment.” Over the years she has received numerous awards and accolades for diving and has been a state champion, district champion and four-time Central League champion. No doubt she will have continued success as a student and as a Division 1 diver at the University of Delaware next year!

Rounding out the family and the one who the kids say is actually Chanda’s favorite is their twelve-year-old Weimaraner named Zeke. “After our first dog, Harley passed away, Evangelo said “no more dogs!’” explained Chanda. But when Chanda found a breeder who had a litter from Harley’s relatives, the family couldn’t say no to Zeke, who is Harley’s great-nephew.

The Pastris family has lived in Broomall for the past 15 years. After living in Exton for several years, they felt it was time to move back to the area, to be closer to family and to the city. They found the perfect house in what they said is a peaceful neighborhood with helpful and friendly neighbors. They’re not far from Evangelo’s family who all still live in the area, and they’re right down the road from St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church, where they’re proud members. “We feel so blessed to have grown up in this community and now raise our children here,” said Chanda. “There really is no place like Marple!”