Carbondale has another guardian angel. Chris Chacos passed away Jan. 19, joining his late wife Terry Chacos in the ever-after. During their time here since the early ‘70s, the two were living-breathing guardian angels to the town, so we are comforted in knowing the job isn’t all that new to them.
Before moving to Carbondale, Terry joined Chris in Quảng Ngãi, Vietnam serving a community already ravaged by war. The two were faced with leaving when the U.S. entered the war in 1968.
Chris and Terry opened the Village Smithy on May Day, 1975 in the town’s historic blacksmith shop, where breakfast and lunch is served to this day. The couple hosted the community and provided support to hundreds of employees and countless friends. In a 2015 Sopris Sun article Chris was quoted as saying, “It wasn’t work. It was a labor of love.”
Chris will be dearly missed and always remembered as a steward to Carbondale and the world.