Nicholas Gavalas

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Nicholas George Nic Gavalas, 91, passed away Thursday, August 21, 2014 in Tallahassee. He is survived by his wife of 67 years Janet Tsacrios Gavalas. The funeral service will be held at 10:30 AM, EDT, Monday, August 25th at Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church in Tallahassee. Interment will follow at Oakland Cemetery. The family will receive friends Sunday evening from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM at the church. The Trisagion will be held at 6:00 PM Sunday, also at the church. Gifts in memory of Mr. Gavalas may be made to Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church, 1645 Phillips Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. Nic was a native of Augusta, Georgia and was a longtime resident of Tallahassee. With the help of his wife, he opened Nic s Toggery in 1950 and they developed it into one of Esquire Magazines Top 100 mens stores in the United States. It was there that he designed the Sammy Seminole: tie, as well as the iconic Florida tie. Always active in the business community, he was a founding member of the Downtown Improvement Authority and also was a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida Retail Federation for many years. He was a founding member of the Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church and was the President of the parish council for the first ten years of its existence and was an active member of the AHEPA mens group. Nic was also a Mason and an Honorary Member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity with his four sons. One of the original members and organizers of the Seminole Boosters, he enjoyed the distinction of being the oldest living booster at the time of his death. Nic proudly and honorably served his country in the United States Army during World War II. Other survivors include his four sons; Victor (Mary), Mike (Vicky) and George (Mary Gordon), all of Tallahassee and Steve of Tampa; and ten grandchildren, Nic, Stacey, John, Janet, Nicholas, Elleni, Alexander, Augustus, Zachary and Nicholas. He is also survived by his sister, Kalliopi Panarites of Syracuse, NY. The family would like to acknowledge the care given to Nic by Cindy and Zoie Summerlin and Interim Health Care. Rocky Bevis of Bevis Funeral Home of Tallahassee (850/385-2193 or www. bevisfh.com) is assisting the Gavalas family with their arrangements.