KALOS, Peter T.

Peter T. Kalos, born June 6, 1913, died June 23, 2002. Peter was born in Moline, Illinois, and raised in Chicago. He was the oldest in a family of eight children consisting of five sisters and three brothers. His parents, Athanasios (Tom) and Evdoxia (Lucy) Kalogeropoulos immigrated to America in 1910 from Methoni, Greece. He grew up during the depression, and assumed many of the responsibilities for raising his younger siblings because of the death of their mother when he was only sixteen. While still a teenager he met his loving wife of seventy years, Sophie. They were married on October 9, 1932. Peter developed a keen sense of judgment for business. He bought his first building in Chicago from an insurance company and soon converted it to positive cash flow. Other ventures followed, including buying the Chicago Cafe conveniently located near the railway, where traveling service men were provided free meals during WWII. In Phoenix, where he moved his family in 1947, he bought a motel on East Van Buren, which at that time was a busy highway on the way to California. Here Peter and Sophie raised their children, Thomas, Nichalos, and Dimitra. While Sophie ran the motel, Peter ventured into the business world, buying various restaurants and bars. He ran them himself and usually hired western bands and entertainers. His success was derived from a no nonsense, no troublemakers allowed attitude and fair prices. "Happy Hour all the Time'. A few notable dance halls and bars owned by "One Punch Pete", a nickname given to him over the years, included "The Melody Inn" between Tempe and Mesa, "Sarge's Cow Town" on South Central Ave. in Phoenix, "The Manzanita Bar and Grill" near the race track and "Fred Kare's Lounge" across the street from Cudahy Meat Packing Company at 50th Street and East Van Buren, where Marty Robbins sang and played the guitar in the early years of his career. Peter lived his life with a strong mind, and provided continuous leadership and decision making in the family circle right up to the time of admission to the hospital, where he celebrated his 89th birthday in the presence of a multitude of family members. Peter's dedication to family responsibilities and caring has been exemplified numerous times, and in particular by providing financial assistance, housing and employment when 3 of his 5 sisters and their husbands wanted to relocate to Phoenix from Chicago in the l950's. He is survived by his wife Sophie, two sons Thomas and Nichalos, a daughter Dimitra, two sisters Angeline and Georgia, one brother Dan, eleven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Peter will be laid to rest today June 26th, 2002, next to his father Tom P. Kalos at Greenwood Memorial Lawn Cemetery following a 9:00 am church service at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 1973 E. Maryland Ave. in Phoenix. The Kalos Family wishes to express kindest personal regards to the many physicians and nurses at John C. Lincoln Hospital, Deer Valley, for untiring efforts and devotion to the care for Peter, our beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather and great-grandfather. The Arizona Republic June 26, 2002