Dr. William George Liakos, Sr., 80, a longtime Roswell pediatrician and community leader, died on March 23, 2015, following a courageous battle with a rare heart disease.
Dr. Liakos founded BCA Medical Associates in the early 1970s and was honored to serve thousands of Roswell children and their families. One of his greatest joys was taking care of the children and grandchildren of his original patients.
Born in Bayard, Nebraska, on April 25, 1934, Liakos grew up on a farm with his large family. He received a congressional appointment to attend West Point, graduating in 1957. He married Kay Hendricks on July 26, 1958, at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. Deciding that he would dedicate his life to serving others through medicine, he graduated from Duke Medical School. He completed his internship at William Beaumont Army Hospital in El Paso, Texas and his residency in pediatrics at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver.
Dr. Liakos and his family moved to Roswell in 1968 to establish his medical practice and to spend time managing and enjoying their beloved cattle and sheep ranch, the 9H6 ranch, near Capitan.
An active community leader, Dr. Liakos served in local and state leadership roles. He was president of the New Mexico Medical Society from 1983-84 and was Alternate Delegate to the American Medical Association in Chicago from 1988-90. He received the Community Service Award from the NM Medical Society in 2008. Dr. Liakos was a founding board member of the Roswell Assurance Home and helped establish the Leadership Roswell program. He served on the vestry of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and the board of directors of the Roswell Museum and Art Center and Eastern New Mexico Medical Center, among others.
Dr. Liakos is survived by his wife of 55 years, Kay Hendricks Liakos, his daughter Kee Liakos (John Phillips) and grandchildren Charlotte and Liam Kurz and Robinson Phillips (Alison), all of Denver; Liz Phillips of Los Angeles and Kaitlin Phillips of New York City. He is survived by his son, Dr. William Liakos, Jr. (Cymantha) and grandsons Will, Elias, Gus and John Owen Liakos, all of Roswell. He is also survived by his sister Angeline Liakos of San Diego and brother John Liakos (Liz) of Omaha and numerous nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind his beloved canine companion, Espi. He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Victoria Liakos, his brothers Leo, Tom and Gus Liakos and his sister, Ann Liakos Duthie.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 11 at 2 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 505 N. Pennsylvania Ave. A reception will follow at the Roswell Museum and Art Center. Memorials honoring his lifetime of compassion and service to the community may be made to the Working Mothers’ Day Nursery, the Roswell Assurance Home, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern New Mexico.
[/auth]