Kostas "Gus" Vasilios Gerolimatos

Kostas “Gus” Vasilios 馬西正 تۇرپان‎ Gerolimatos
passed away in victory on February 26th, 2026 in Ormond Beach. By his side in his final moments were his granddaughter and daughter-in-law, with his son, eldest granddaughter, and great granddaughter present via video call from California.

Gus’s life was one of strength and fighting against the odds, but always coming out on top.
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He lived the American dream and shared it with others.

Kostas was born in WWII China to Greek and Chinese parents. He escaped the Communists and grew up in Chicago.

Mr. Gerolimatos worked for one company (GM) his entire life and was loyal to it even after retiring.

Gus loved sports, both watching, and playing tennis, golf, skiing and swimming well into later years. He was even a big sumo wrestling fan.

Dad was a loving and devoted father who always stayed close and was never distant.

Yeye was a cherished grandfather who adored his grandchildren, and was adored back.
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He championed his many struggles, and learned more about himself as a reward.

A child avoiding bombing raids learned the importance of family and family friends such as members of General Chennault's Flying Tigers squadron and 14th Air Force in China.

A Chinese immigrant in Chicago, his naturally gregarious manner helped him build groups of friends, classmates and student government partners.

A young father with visitation rights learned to love and cherish every single moment with his son, so that when his son moved very far away, he could talk on the phone or write letters that kept them close.

An employee in the turbulent auto industry learned to use his group of friends and close coworkers to survive the upheavals of the 70s, 80s and 90s.

A survivor of stage 4 cancer kept a positive outlook and spirit, helped by his various groups of friends and associates, and supported by the family that he always remained so close to.
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Gus’s life was one of strength and fighting against the odds, but always coming out on top. Gus was born in Kunming, China to a Muslim-Chinese mother and Greek Orthodox father.

Due to the political and wartime conflicts in China, the family chose to leave, eventually finding their way to Chicago. Though he couldn’t yet speak English and his family struggled to stay afloat, Gus was able to thrive in a city and environment that was unkind to Asians, becoming very popular amongst his peers.

Gus was an adventurous man. He moved out at a young age, living on Hollywood and Vine. There, he met his first wife with whom he would find his way back to Chicago with, just in time to have his son.

Gus was a sincere and loving father, ensuring that he saw his son every single Saturday. Together, they would ride the Chicago Rapid Transit System over and over and over again. Visitation would always end with candy and the official Closing Theme.

He made the most of every special moment, recounting them to his son and granddaughters every chance he could for the rest of his life.

Gus was a hard worker at GM, and even became one of their top earners. He started his career selling high-end Cadillacs in Downtown Chicago.

Later, he hopped around the Midwest as a GM salesman, eventually finding home in Champaign, IL for several decades.

His time with GM gave him the opportunity to travel around the US, where he could always be found in the hotels with the best swimming pools doing laps for hours on end.

Gus would unfortunately retire early after a devastating Stage 4 cancer diagnosis. But, being the strong-willed man he was, he fought hard against it, earning him another 28 years to watch his granddaughters grow up.

Through all the moves and health struggles, Gus never lost his love of golf, often joking he’d like his ashes spread on Hole 6 in Champaign. He carried that love of golf with him as he settled in Daytona Beach, living and playing on the golf course for as long as he could.

In his later TV watching years, he treasured the time he spent with his son watching Sumo wrestling together, placing bets on their favorite wrestlers. Gus finished being up $26 on his son.

Though he lived a more quiet life in Daytona, Gus could always be counted on to regale to his family and friends of his long and interesting life.

In all honesty, Gus was a modest man. He’d probably be upset if he knew all these words were being written about him, but he would have beamed with pride to know he was so loved.

Most importantly, Gus was a loving father, grandfather, and (in his final years) great-grandfather. Gus’s loving chuckle and favorite phrase of affirmation, “I’m so proud of you,” will be greatly missed by those who love him.
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Though Gus was never brought back to his Daytona Beach home in his final days, the far-away California Gerolimatos family did all they could to bring home to him at the end.

His granddaughter and rushed from California to his side. She made sure he was never alone, holding his hand, comforting him, talking and singing to him, and ensuring that others would respect his final wishes.

He was lucid and found ways to communicate with his loved ones, keeping control all the way to his final moment. He held on until he could hear his son and the toddler babbling of his namesake great-granddaughter, the next generation of the Gerolimatos family who will carry his memory well into the 22nd century.