Theodore KANELLOPOULOS

KANELLOPOULOS, Theodore
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Theodore Kanellopoulos on January 11, 2013. Theodore passed away after a long and courageous battle with lung cancer at the Pasqua Hospital. He is predeceased by his parents Dimitrios and Maria; brother Lambis; sister Emilia; and son-in-law Antonio Garcia. Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 44 years Stavroula; children Maria (George) Kanellopoulos- Georgiadis, Fay (Bill) Kanellopoulos-Perentes and Jim Kanellopoulos; siblings in Greece Katerina (Ilias), Kostas (Antonia), and Andreas (Despina); grandchildren Stavroula, Theodore, Panayioti and Irini; as well as many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.
Theodore was the second child of six children and the eldest son born in Lykouresi, Gortinias on Jan 1st, 1941. Life was not easy in Greece and although Theodore valued education and academically was able to study further, economically at that time this was reserved for the youngest son. Nonetheless, Theodore left Lykouresi at a young age and worked in Nafplio and later Corinthos doing odd jobs at restaurants and later on in commercial ship lines. In the evening he put himself through school and completed and received his electrician's license.
As a result, he was accepted as an immigrant and arrived in Toronto, Canada in 1967. His life changed when he was introduced to a beautiful young woman Stavroula Andrianopoulou, who had only been in Canada for a few months visiting her relatives. It was love at first sight and they were married on February 16, 1969. Their first child Maria was born the following year followed by Fay and Jim. In Toronto, Theodore opened and ran a successful diner. However, wanting his children to learn about their Greek Heritage and being hopeful about the possible future of Greece, he decided to move the family back to Athens, Greece in 1977.
They lived there for 5 years as Theodore owned and ran a few traditional coffee shops (kafenia). Seeing that life in Greece was not about to change for the better, in 1982, he decided to move the family back to Canada but this time to Regina, Saskatchewan as it was a booming city for the restaurant business. Not being a stranger to hard work, Theodore bought a house, car and restaurant: Thrifty's Pizza, all within a year of being in Regina. He instilled in his children the value of education and although he was not able to fulfill his own dream of having a university education, he was proud that all of his children had the opportunity to obtain university degrees.
All that knew him remember him as someone who always had a smile on his face, loved to entertain and have a good time. He will be sorely missed by his family, friends and many others who have met him. A PRAYER SERVICE will be held at St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church, 3000 Argyle Road, Regina, SK on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. A FUNERAL SERVICE will be held at St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church on Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Theodore may be made to Palliative Care, 4101 Dewdney Avenue, Regina, SK, S4T 1A5. Family and friends are invited to sign the online obituary and tributes page at www.regina-memorial.ca. Arrangements entrusted to Regina Funeral Home (306) 789-8850.