Georgios "George" Govanis

1942 - 2018  (76 years)

• Name	Georgios "George" Govanis
  Born	22 Mar 1942	, Greece
  Gender	Male
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-8526
  Died	30 May 2018
  	Cause: complications following blot clot
  Buried	Parkview Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Person ID	I8526	Generations
  Last Modified	25 Apr 2024

  
  

  Family	Maria Gikopoulos,   b. 1947, , Greece ,   d. 25 Mar 2005, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 58 years)
  Last Modified	26 Apr 2024
  Family ID	F14628	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Lifetimes: Co-owner of Sonny's Drive-In tried to make everyone's life a little brighter George Govanis of Kitchener, born: March 22, 1942 in Greece, died: May 30, 2018 complications following blot clot by Valerie Hill Waterloo Region Record KITCHENER - If a kid received an overly-wrapped Christmas gift and George Govanis was giggling to himself, you can bet there was a joke afoot. The former co-owner of the iconic Kitchener burger joint, Sonny's Drive-In, was indeed a prankster, a good-hearted and always happy guy who looked out for everyone, particularly those most in need of support. Daughter Peggy Govanis remembers a group of teens from the nearby vocational school coming to Sonny's every day at lunch but one kid never bought anything. George learned the boy's parents didn't have much money and he couldn't afford restaurant food. George offered the teen a trade: If he helped clean up around the restaurant he'd be given a free lunch. George was generous but he also believed in hard work, in teaching young people to be self-sufficient and responsible. When he wanted to support the vocational school, George asked the shop class to build him picnic tables for the outdoor space at Sonny's. George was born in Greece, one of six kids raised in a farming family during the Second World War. Life was not only difficult but dangerous when the Nazi's invaded towns and villages. The family took refuge in a cave high up in the mountains, a place that continued to hold special meaning to George. Last year, his health prevented him from travelling to Greece with Peggy and her triplets Ryan, Adam and Sydney, but he insisted they visit that cave. Peggy said despite her teenagers' grumblings that there was no Wi-Fi on the mountain, once they made the climb, entered the cavern, saw the walls blackened by cooking fires, the reality of what their Papou and his family had endured became clear. "He had said 'You have to take them to this mountain, I want them to know the cave where we'd go,'" said Peggy. "We hiked that mountain." Peggy also giggled that long after the war, men continued to hang out in the cavern playing cards, "the original man cave" she called it. Starting out his life on the farm, it would be an encounter when he was 20 years old that changed everything. Peggy said her dad had been at a youth event, a place to meet pretty girls. That's exactly what happened \emdash and there is a photo of lovely 15-year-old Maria Gikopoulos standing a few feet behind George, her gazed fixed on him. In 1965 at 17, Maria immigrated with some of her siblings to Canada but not before the couple became officially engaged and made plans for George to follow. Maria took a factory job in Kitchener, saving money to sponsor her husband-to-be and in April 1967, George finally arrived. It had been two years of separation, two years of writing letters. But finally he was here. They married on Canada Day and would go on to have two daughters: Peggy and Vicki. In 1970, George and his brother Bob Govanis purchased Sonny's from Maria's brothers who had started the franchise outlet in 1965. Sonny's became a popular spot for students as well as skaters from the nearby roller rink as well as many Greek immigrants who came to ask advice from the brothers. George and Bob were both good businessmen but very different in their management style. Bob was the serious one, George took a lighter approach, always joking with customers. Both knew everyone by name. Maria and Bob's wife, Dina, also worked at the restaurant as did all their kids. Bob's son, Jim Govanis, said the brothers were best friends but sometimes they would be at odds. One would ask the kids to peel potatoes from one of the eight 50-pound bags they went through every week for french fries. Then the other would come by and ask why they were peeling potatoes when dozens of fish and chip boxes needed to be folded in preparation for fish Fridays. But they were never at odds over the cornerstone of the business \emdash serving fresh, homemade food and taking care of customers. Given they were the only joint open until 3 a.m., tipsy customers tended to be regulars and George would always refuse to allow them to walk or drive home, preferring to take them himself in his own car. He would also be the one to break up fights and he earned the respect of a local motorcycle gang leader when club members caused trouble at the restaurant. Peggy doesn't recall how her father managed such situations, but the leader and George remained friends for years. Jim said, "He could be a tough guy." To which Peggy added, "He remembered being beaten up as an immigrant." When ignorant customers came in and made fun of his accent, Peggy wondered why her father never reacted. Turns out, George figured he was getting the last laugh. "He'd say 'I'm getting their money.'" Jim remembers his uncle as kind, funny and deeply-connected to family. Sundays were always family days and he would often be the one in the backyard barbecuing for everyone. He would also prepare mounds of food for St. Peter and Paul Greek Orthodox Church and the church's annual Greek Festival in June. This happy life, however, was about to meet with tragedy. In 2003 George contracted a flesh-eating disease. When the initial symptoms arose, he thought it was just a flu bug and later told the Record, "My people come from Greece, we're a little bit stubborn, we're not going to go to the doctor for the flu." Within two days of the first symptoms, however, the family was signing a do-not-resuscitate order for George as his body was ravaged by the fast-moving disease and toxic shock syndrome. The family was told he had a one per cent chance of survival and there would be long-term health repercussions, not the least of which could be brain damage and loss of fingers and toes. George was placed in a month-long drug-induced coma but slowly he began to recover, returning home 10 weeks later, somewhat befuddled and having lost four fingers to amputation. "They called him 'miracle man,'" Peggy said. Two years later Maria died of pancreatic cancer at age 57. Between his illness and loss of his beloved wife, George was never the same though he remained a strong presence in his family, particularly for his grandkids. Daughter Vicki recalled her father "befriended everyone" and will be remembered for "his smile, laugh, his generosity and his loving, kind-hearted soul. "He loved being in the garden tending to my late mother's roses and his vegetable garden. He was a very social person, loved having company over and social gatherings making sure everyone was having a good time. If they were not he would crack some jokes to make them laugh." Hill, V. (2018). Lifetimes: Co-owner of Sonny's Drive-In tried to make everyone's life a little brighter. TheRecord.com. Retrieved 9 July 2018, from https://www.therecord.com/news-story/8730102-lifetimes-co-owner-of-sonny-s-drive-in-tried-to-make-everyone-s-life-a-little-brighter/

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 22 Mar 1942 - , Greece Buried - - Parkview Cemetery, Waterloo City, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth