CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Stavros Giannakopoulos, affectionately known as "Mr. Steve" throughout Chesapeake and Elizabeth City, died in his sleep at age 83, on November 29, just two days after spending Thanksgiving with his family. Friends and family say Mr. Steve is leaving behind a legacy that spans more than five decades in the Great Bridge community. The co-founder of Chesapeake Pizza, along with his brother-in-law Greg, established the beloved local restaurant in 1973.
"He lived 83 beautiful years. He was the kindest, sweetest, most loving, gentle person we've ever known," said his sons Spiros and Greg Giannakopoulos.
The journey to pizza shop ownership wasn't easy for the Greek immigrant who started his young life as a farmer in the Western Peloponnese region of Greece in the Alfios river valley near Ancient Olympia.
"My father was born in Western Peloponnese. He spent time in olive groves and tending to orange trees and olive groves, and he was a farmer," his sons explained.
A few years after getting married, Giannakopoulos and his wife Glykeria left Greece seeking a better life for their family in the United States, eventually making Great Bridge their new home. For more than 50 years, Chesapeake Pizza has served as a cornerstone of the community, with Mr. Steve's warm personality becoming as much of a draw as the food itself.
"Knowing that, you know, an immigrant, a first generation family, can come to a town like this and pour their heart and soul into it and receive as much back, receive as much love back from this community that they gave," his sons reflected.
Mr. Steve retired from working at Chesapeake Pizza in 2006, and his nephew Peter took over ownership of the restaurant.
Mr. Steve's sons say he was such a workaholic, that just days into retirement, he began to help out at his son Spiros' pizza shop Van's Pizza House in Elizabeth City.
The impact of Mr. Steve's passing is being felt throughout Chesapeake, with community members sharing memories and tributes across social media platforms.
"We just want his legacy to continue. I mean obviously, through social media you see the outpouring and the comments through customers, how he's impacted so many people," Spiros and Greg said.
The family revealed that Mr. Steve's secret pizza ingredient was Wisconsin cheddar cheese, but his sons say the real secret was something much more meaningful.
"A word or two to describe our father–it's love, just genuine love," they said.
Mr. Steve's legacy will continue through his two sons, seven grandchildren, and the rest of his family who plan to carry on the tradition of serving the Great Bridge community with the same love and dedication that made Chesapeake Pizza a local institution.
Funeral services for Giannakopoulos will be Thursday, December 4, from 10:00AM - 12:00PM at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Norfolk.
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