George Malekos

George Malekos, 67, of Eagle River died Nov. 8, 2008, surrounded by his family at the Veterans Memorial Hospital in Seattle, Wash.
A memorial service will be at 5 p.m. Nov. 29 at Kings Way Assembly of God Church, 10336 E. Eagle River Loop Road in Eagle River. A potluck reception will be from 6-10 p.m. at the Old St. Andrews Church in downtown Eagle River.
George was born Aug. 2, 1941, in San Francisco, a first-generation Greek, the fifth child of the late Christos and Vasiliki Malekos. He was preceded in death by siblings Anne Parola, Sophie Pavlos and Nick Malekos.
As a young man, George joined the Army, later living in Mexico and then Hawaii before adventuring to Alaska, where he remained.
In 1972, George moved to Eagle River where he opened and operated the North Slope Restaurant for 34 years. The North Slope Restaurant and Drive Inn was named in recognition of the kitchen's unique past. The kitchen, a metal mobile unit, was formerly used at Discovery Well on the North Slope, where George was head chef. When a permanent kitchen was built there, the mobile unit was shipped to Anchorage. Upon finding it in the rail yard a few years later, George bought it, moved it to Eagle River, and in 1972 opened a drive-in restaurant. It was remodeled many times, with the end result a turn-of-the-century Skagway look. As a business owner, George employed many young people who learned the love of cooking from him. Sometimes gruff, always humorous, he had a creative way of teaching. Many took advantage of his culinary lessons, moving on to successful careers in the food industry.
George spent many years supporting the Eagle River community. He helped establish the Eagle River-Chugiak Chamber of Commerce, petitioned Juneau to bring the first state trooper office to Eagle River, held numerous spaghetti fundraisers for individuals in need and hosted the annual Old-Timers dinner. George raised money to bring the first Cairns IRIS infrared imaging device for Eagle River Station 11. On the 25th anniversary of his restaurant, George was honored by the 19th Alaska Legislature. While George was rewarded over the years for contributing to others, with his passing he found a way to continue this path. His last gift was not one of money but rather the gift of sight, donating his corneas to SightLife, founded by the Northwest Lions Foundation. Even in death, George gave a part of himself in the hope that another person might have sight.
A big portion of George's life was spent hunting and fishing, and he passed his love of the outdoors on to his children, as well as many others who accompanied him on his excursions. He was an amazing storyteller, and years spent chasing the perfect shot or landing a feisty salmon provided hours of laughter for many who had the opportunity to listen to his tales. George had the opportunity this past September to hunt at Monahan Flats with his friends Chuck, Rich and Greg, and returned home with fresh meat, happy from doing what he loved to do: hunt, cook, be outside and spend quality time with good friends.
George is survived by his wife of 33 years, Susan; son, George Christopher Malekos; daughter, Sophie Ann Malekos; and their half-sister, Marni Martinez; grandson Nicholas Hunter Malekos; sister, Mary Perino and husband Peter; niece, Cathy Gonsalva; nephews, Steve Pavlos and family and Chris Pavlos and family, Peter, Pam and Julie Perion, Vicki Pappas and Michelle Pappas. Surviving in-laws include mother- and father-in-law, Richard and Emma Powers; sisters-in-law, Diane, Linda and Jeannie; brothers-in-law and families, Richard Powers and Sue Hill-Powers, Dustin Hill, Jordan Hill; Bruce and Royanne Powers; niece, Christine Declue; nephew, David Roseman. Last but not least, George is survived by his faithful and loving dog, Andy.
In lieu of flowers the family is suggesting donating to Fisher House, 1660 S. Columbian Way, Seattle 98108. Their Web site is: www.fisherhousevaps.org. Much like the Ronald McDonald houses, Fisher House is a home away from home for any veteran's family 50 miles or farther from home in need of housing when their ill veterans are being treated at a VA hospital.