Tessie Tryfon Menechios was born April 17, 1938, in Salt Lake City to Chris and Georgia Tryfon. She passed away at her home on Tuesday, December 12, after a long battle with cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer). She had an idyllic childhood in Salt Lake. She and her friends would watch Gene Autry cowboy movies and re-enact them in the gully and creek by her house. She loved going on family picnics in the canyons. After she graduated from the University of Utah, she taught at East High School, then one of the top ten high schools in the country. She won teaching awards for her demanding history courses. She was well-loved and was very proud to keep in touch with many of her former students, even 40 years after she stopped teaching. In 1968, she married Charles Menechios and moved to Palos Verdes Estates where she raised her family. She maintained close ties to Salt Lake City, while making lifelong friendships in California. She was an active member of the Greek Orthodox Church in Salt Lake City and Redondo Beach. She sang in the choir as a young woman and served as vice-president of Philoptochos. An excellent cook, she was known for her fruited sherbet, baklava, and sweet potato casserole. She also enjoyed gardening and loved her roses. She instilled her love of the ballet, classical music, and art in her daughters. She is survived by her loving and devoted family, husband Charles; her daughters, Katherine Frazier (Don) and Stacy; and two granddaughters. Also her brother, George (Pam) Tryfon; and many nieces and nephews.
Jesse Fox
"Miss Tryfon" as I knew her was probably the best teacher I ever had. She was tough and I had an run in with her over something that I felt was unfair. When the issue was resolved, we both respected each other and became good friends as teacher and student. When I think of East High I always think of her and remember her class as one of the best experiences of my life. It's hard to think she is gone.
Jesse Fox
Cathy Dickerson (Lengeling)
She expected a lot from me too. MissTryfon was the best 'teacher' I had at East.
I remember staying up most of the night to write a paper right before the Thanksgiving break of my sophomore year. She gave me a good grade on that one. RIP
Doug Rigby
My experience with Miss Tryfon was similar to those mentioned. She was always clear about her expectations and was dedicated to her students to make them understand what they were there for. I wish there were more teachers like her. She made me want to be a better studemt. And that wasn't easy.
Heather Stewart (Dorrell)
I think it was Mr. Henderson who taught American History...?. MissTryfon taught World History; I know because I remember staying up one night to do my colored pencil maps of the Aegean Sea and all those teeny islands. She was impressed, so it was worth it. I remember Miss Tryfon was concerned about the fate of antiquities from the Cradle of Civilization-- to be drowned and lost forever once the Aswan Dam was built. Creighton West was in that class. Our classroom was next to the orchestra room, so we heard them practicing all through our history lessons. They sounded really good. Miss Tryfon was one my favorite teachers, She set high expectations and seemed genuinely interested in students.
Jared Weaver
Mr. Hermansen taught American History.
Heidi Hayes (Jacobs)
Miss Tryfon was a gifted teacher who pushed us hard to use our minds and engage in a larger world beyond 13th east and 9th South. I loved her classes. She sponored Model UN and I recall the year that East was assigned France and got to sit on the Security Council at the state wide sessions held at the U. We had to "think like the French"...(not always easy but always interesting). She had high expectations yet listened carefully to our early and sometimes fumbling perspectives with patience.
Nick Snow
Let's settle this argument once and for all (albeit very belatedly): Terrible Tessie Tryfon taught American History and World History. I know because I had her for both.
My most vivid memory was in American History. Through the year, Miss Tryfon had groups of four students each make a presentation about a specific period. I was part of the quartet discussing the settlement of the American West. Patty Jackson, Liz Lloyd and Dennis Furlow were the others. When we met to discuss what we were going to do, I suggested that we build it around Patty, as the local "school marm" who basically would present the information. Liz and I would show up first as a couple of outlaws threatening to close the school. Dennis would appear toward the end as a railroad agent offering her a fortune for her school and property so she could open elsewhere.
We worked things out pretty quickly, Then, as we prepared to go our separate ways, I took Patty aside and suggested, "Why don't you do your lesson as Miss Tryfon?" Her eyes grew wide and she finally said she'd think about it.
The day of our presentation, Liz and I showed up as cowboys, Dennis as the railroad agent, and Patty as the school marm, wearing three silver bracelets loosely on one wrist. Liz and I made our threats and joined Dennis outside in the hall as Patty made her presentation, jingling her bracelets, empatically calling the other students "People!" and saying assorted Tryfon phrases, such as "Very quickly, now, people" as she moved ahead.
The room fell quickly and completely silent as she went on. Out in the hall, Liz looked worried and Dennis growled to me, "All right, smart guy, what are you going to do now?" Then, from the back of the classroom where she was sitting, Tessie called out, "People! This is very funny! Why aren't you laughing?" Then slowly, the three of us in the hall heard, "Uh-huh -- Uh-hur-huh" until it grew into frightened, cautious laughter.
Miss Tryfon had the last laugh: The four of us got "A's" on the assignment -- possibly because we'd shown such tremendous nerve in daring to make fun of the teacher. She was truly exceptional, and I'll never forget her.
Nick Snow
Arthur Sandack
Thanks to Nick's update, I just got belated notice of Miss Tryfon's passsing. It's good to know, that many others like myself have great memories of her and consider her their best teacher. What stands out for me is Model UN, for whatever reason I was not admitted too many club activiteis at East like. But whe made me feel welcome. I enjoyed Model UN thanks to Miss Tryfon and her tutulege, and did it I think for a couple years. But what really stands out for me is her calling us out on Vietnam and getting us to smarten up a be beary bear aware of it. I'm sorry I did not form and maintain a relationship with her after high school. I did not realize she was only 10 years older than we were then. That amazes me now. She died too young, must have been awful, so sorry to learn this.
Kirstin George (Santos)
I am just leanrning of Miss Tryfon's death. From the earlier comments and her listed death day in December, it seems that Miss Tryfon passed in 2015. Arthur, like you, it surprises me to learn that she would have been only 26 when I was taking her American History class! Miss Tryfon and Miss Bowman are the two teachers at East High who had an impact in shaping me as a lifelong student and citizen. Miss Tryfon stretched my capacity to study, research, and engage with whatever work I would choose and connect myself within a bigger world. Whenever she asked a question and didn't see hands raised immediately, she would lean forward on one of the front desks, tap her fingernails rhythmically as she spoke "I will not FEEEED you." That prompt clearly signaled to me what my responsibility was. I'm grateful to her.