Restauranteur.
Born into a humble family in Greece on 3 June 1945, he came to Canada at the age of 22, looking for a better life and to join his brothers Nick and Ted. Coming off the plane in the February cold wearing only a sweater, he soon decided that Winnipeg perhaps was not a place for a Greek man and attempted to scrounge the money for plane fare back to Greece. However, fate intervened when he met his future wife Panagiota, and also came into the joint ownership, along with his wife and in-laws, of Nick’s Inn in Headingley. Jim, as his customers knew him, became well-known for wandering about the restaurant, telling stories and joking with the clientele, turning many into regular customers. He never forgot his Greek heritage, going back to Greece every year and remaining a member of the Greek Orthodox Church for over forty years. He donated a classroom to the Greek Hellenic Cultural Centre in Winnipeg, and a church bell to the Twelve Apostles Church in Mili, Greece, which was rung all through the day upon hearing of his death. He died at Headingley on 10 January 2009.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 13 January 2009.
“The ’09 honour roll” by Kevin Rollason, Winnipeg Free Press, 2 January 2010, page H1.
This page was prepared by Kris Keen and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 12 November 2016
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