James Spiros Rozes

Dr. James (Demetrios) Spiros Rozes of Newport, Rhode Island passed away on August 25th, 2021 at age 77. James will be remembered as a generous soul who left behind smiles for generations. He was born in the mountain village of Alestena, Greece and moved to Newport with his family at age 6. James graduated from Rogers High School, where he was editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, The Red and Black. He attended Tufts University as an English major, followed by Tufts School of Dental Medicine, receiving his DMD degree. He graduated from Loyola University of Chicago's School of Dentistry with a specialty in orthodontics. While at Loyola, he taught and earned his MS degree in anatomy.
James served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. He was stationed at Naval Base Subic Bay in the Philippines. During his service, he performed complex facial reconstructions involving the mouth and jaw for wounded servicemembers. He completed his service with a final rank of Lieutenant Commander.
In 1971, James opened his private orthodontics practice in Middletown, Rhode Island, where he transformed the smiles of thousands until his retirement in 2015.
Active in the local Greek community in Newport, James served on committees at St. Spyridon's Greek Orthodox Church, volunteered at the church's soup kitchen and was a member of the AHEPA organization. He was an avid baseball fan and enthusiast of all sports, especially the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Celtics and the New England Patriots. One of James' favorite sports moments was attending Super Bowl LI in Houston, Texas, the site of the Patriots' epic comeback victory against the Atlanta Falcons. James enjoyed bird watching, literature, ancient Greek history, playing golf and poker. He also loved to cook and took great joy in preparing his famous antipasto platter for dinner parties. James was an avid fan of Elvis Presley and the Rolling Stones. He was passionate about cars, movies and watches.
He is survived by his four children, Jason Rozes, Christina Williams, Emily Zatakia and Philip Rozes, and his six grandchildren, Isabel Rozes, Alexis and Eric Hartzler, Alyssa and Steven Williams, and Zoe Zatakia. He is also survived by his brother, Arthur Rozes, nephews Charles and Jonathan Rozes and niece Jennifer Rozes. He was preceded in death by his parents, Spiros Rozes and Mary Macris Rozes.
A wake will be held in James' honor on Saturday, September 4, 2021 from 4-7pm at the Memorial Funeral Home at 375 Broadway, Newport, Rhode Island. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Endowment Fund of St. Spyridon's Greek Orthodox Church in Newport, Rhode Island.