Obituary of George Manousos
Losing a parent is one of the most difficult things that anyone can go through. We are incredibly grateful to be able to tell you how blessed we are to have had George as our Dad. He arrived in Canada (Port of Halifax) from Anogia, Sparta, Greece in the month of April 1955 at the age of 26, with a couple of dollars in his pocket and a suitcase full of dreams. Shortly after arriving, he hopped the train to Toronto where he joined his brothers Tony and Nick and his sister Bessie.
Just like thousands of other immigrants, Dad worked hard to build his life and become part of the community in his newly adopted home. After honing his skills as a chef in numerous restaurants around Toronto, he and his brothers ventured into the restaurant business on their own. Eventually the siblings found their own path by leaving Ontario, however, Dad chose to stay in Toronto which proved to be fortuitous because shortly after, he met a beautiful woman named Maria, who would soon become his wife.
Together, Mom and Dad owned and operated a very busy restaurant in Bloor West Village named Andersen’s. It was a Canadian family style restaurant where they combined their shared passion for food. Mom and Dad fed their customers as if they were family. Dad’s homemade hamburgers were legendary, and his apple pie and lemon meringue pie had customers salivating. After all, Dad’s goal was to teach people how to eat well.
Food was not their only passion however, Mom and Dad were also passionate about family. They had a total of three daughters, Pauline, Diane, and Bessie, and to Dad, his daughters were his pride and joy. Dad would often take us to the CNE and the Ice Capades, and each year we were showered with gifts on Christmas Day. Dad was a loving father, a devoted husband and a doting grandfather to his four grandchildren: Alexander, Christopher, Christina and Aleksa, whom he adored and cherished.
A simple man, Dad savoured the little things in life: a good cup of coffee, an engaging conversation, and a great hockey game. Besides his family, Dad was passionate about politics, history, and especially gardening. After he retired, Dad continued to maintain vital social connections by visiting with ‘his buddies’ at the local Tim Hortons, spending hours conversing on every topic under the sun and comparing their lotto numbers.
Dad had a big heart and a genuine interest in the life of others, he lived life to the fullest always looking towards the future. We will dearly miss our Dad, but we know that his spirit will always live within us. Now we would like to leave you with a quote from our Dad, “Nice seeing you people. Now, I’m going upstairs.”
Due to the pandemic restrictions, George's Divine Liturgy and Burial will be private, however a live stream link to the Divine Liturgy will be available. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE LIVE STREAM The Divine Liturgy will be live streamed at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 21, 2021. The link will become live just prior to the start time. Burial will follow at St. John's Dixie Cemetery. No technical assistance will be made available for the live stream.
Friends are welcome to visit the cemetery (section G) to visit privately as of Thursday.
We encourage all to share memories, photos and sentiments of his life here at his memorial web page. Dontations to Feed Ontario can be made via the link on his home page.
Uniquely entrusted to eco Cremation & Burial Services Inc.
Dad
He never looks for praises,
He’s never one to boast.
He just goes on quietly working,
For those he loves the most.
His dreams are seldom spoken,
His wants are very few.
And most of the time his worries,
Will go unspoken too.
He’s there.... A firm foundation,
Through all our storms of life.
A sturdy hand to hold onto,
In times of stress and strife.
A true friend we can turn to,
When times are good or bad.
One of our greatest blessings,
The man that we call Dad.
