Dr. Isidore Mihalakis
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Dr. Isidore “Jerry” Mihalakis, 90, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, passed away on October 11, 2026, leaving behind a remarkable life and a large and loving family. A pioneering forensic pathologist with an insatiable curiosity and a mischievous sense of humor, Jerry believed that life was meant to be enjoyed and that there was always room for one more person at the table.
Born on the Greek island of Chios to Basil and Malvina Mihalakis, Jerry came to the United States at age ten. Upon arriving in America, Jerry, who should have been entering fifth grade, was instead placed in a first-grade classroom. He never forgot the humiliation of being the biggest kid in the smallest desk. A teacher took him under her wing, staying after school to help him catch up. That experience stayed with Jerry throughout his life, shaping both his determination to succeed and his willingness to help others do the same.
Jerry earned a scholarship to Moravian College and went on to attend George Washington University School of Medicine. After serving as a physician in the United States Army from 1967 to 1969 and as Assistant Medical Examiner for Baltimore County from 1969 to 1971, he returned to the Lehigh Valley to serve as a forensic pathologist at Sacred Heart Hospital. In 1988, he founded Forensic Pathology Associates, a private practice serving counties across Pennsylvania. He also served as medical examiner for several counties in New Jersey. Board-certified in anatomic, clinical, and forensic pathology, he held multiple teaching appointments, including at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center of Pennsylvania State University and Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health.
Jerry loved his work. He was fascinated by the mysteries of death and believed that everyone had a story worth telling, especially those who could no longer tell it themselves. He was just as enthusiastic about sharing those stories, and anyone who spent an evening with him was likely to hear about a particularly interesting case. His practice became an unofficial classroom for aspiring physicians, lawyers, and detectives, some of whom shadowed him for months. Countless people would later credit Jerry with shaping the trajectory of their lives.
Despite opportunities to take his career elsewhere, Jerry chose to remain in Bethlehem, close to his parents and extended family. Family was central to Jerry's life, as was his Greek heritage. Named for St. Isidore, one of the patron saints of his native Chios, Jerry met the love of his life, Markella, named for the island's other patron saint, at a dance for fellow Chians.
Jerry and Markella were married for 36 years, rearing three daughters and building his medical practice together. Their marriage was a true partnership, and they remained devoted to one another until Markella's passing from cancer in 1999 at age 56. In later years, Jerry found companionship again with Marietta, his partner of 24 years.
As a father, Jerry was affectionate, demanding, and occasionally exasperating. His daughters, Marlena, Mary Beth, and Vivian, were each routinely greeted on the telephone with, “How's the most wonderful daughter in the world?”—a title he bestowed upon all three with equal sincerity. He showered them with hugs and kisses and expected them to make the most of their God-given talents. He was enormously proud of his daughters, though he never quite got over the fact that none was “that kind of doctor” who could take over the family practice. This was particularly surprising given the extensive hands-on training he had provided. Working as an autopsy assistant was a rite of passage in the Mihalakis household. Jerry firmly believed in hard work, and his daughters were expected to participate enthusiastically, whether helping with an autopsy or cleaning the gutters. Jerry, for his part, particularly enjoyed dropping the contents of those gutters onto the heads of his reluctant helpers.
His mischievous streak was legendary. He delighted in pretending not to know his daughters at the grocery store checkout, turning off the hot water while someone was showering, and waking the household on Saturday mornings with blasting marching band music. He was fond of calling people while impersonating someone else and took pleasure in folding dollar bills into impossibly intricate shapes before depositing them in the church collection plate. Jerry was also a notoriously enthusiastic driver, known to local police officers who occasionally resorted to their loudspeakers to announce, “Doc, slow down!”
If Jerry loved a good prank, he loved a good meal even more. Nearly every conversation began with a description of something delicious he'd eaten. His favorites included Potts' hot dogs, stinky cheese, and figs from his beloved trees. He wasn't much of a cook himself, but he knew how to appreciate one. With a few well-placed hints, he often convinced the ladies at church to leave fresh-baked bread for him behind the icons.
For Jerry, food was about bringing people together. When he remodeled his home, he insisted on a twenty-foot dining table that had to be built inside because it wouldn't fit through the door. He needed room for all his people. Around that table gathered family, friends, and an ever-changing assortment of people Jerry had taken under his wing. There was always plenty to eat, and everyone was welcome.
Jerry adored his four granddaughters, Annie, Ginny, Jamie, and Ellie, and found it nearly impossible to say no to them. He delighted in taking them for ice cream, mini-golf, and trips to Wawa, and loved gathering the whole family at the Jersey Shore. His affection was boundless, and his willingness to bend the rules on their behalf occasionally tested their mothers' patience.
Jerry made friends easily and kept them for decades, including his Wednesday breakfasts with the guys that continued into his final months. Even as age brought difficult changes and robbed him of his ability to speak, read, and write, the joy he took in seeing family and friends never disappeared. He still lit up when his people walked into the room.
Jerry expected a great deal from the people he loved, but gave just as much of himself. Nothing captures him better than the image of Jerry at the head of his twenty-foot table, surrounded by family and friends, with more food than anyone could possibly eat, telling stories and delighting in having everyone together.
His memory will be eternal.
Jerry is survived by his three daughters: Marlena and her husband, George Alex, and their daughters, Ginny and Ellie; Mary Beth and her husband, Alexander Karras, and their daughters, Annie and her husband, Shane Chapman, and Jamie; and Vivian Mihalakis and her husband, Anthony Petrosky. He is also survived by his partner of 24 years, Marietta Banach. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 36 years, Markella Mihalakis, and his parents, Basil and Malvina Mihalakis.
Visitation will be held Thursday, October 15, from 6–8 p.m., and Friday, October 16, from 10–11 a.m., followed by the Funeral Service at 11a.m. at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 1607 W. Union Blvd., Bethlehem. The Funeral Service will be livestreamed using the following link:
Interment with AHEPA Service at Cedar Hill Memorial Park, Allentown. Funeral arrangements by the Herron Funeral Home in Bethlehem, www.HerronFuneralHomeCares.com
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 1607 West Union Boulevard, Bethlehem, PA 18018, or online at https://stnicholas.org/memorial
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