Alex L. Gikas

years, a resident Oak Lawn and Palos Hills IL, has entered the Kingdom of Heaven, having passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 3, 2024. Beloved husband of Irene (Syrigas) Gikas and, for nearly 50 years, the late Catherine (nee Rogiokos) Gikas; cherished father of Louis (Angeline) Gikas, James (Patricia) Gikas, Nick (Christina) Gikas and the late Carol (Louis) Kocsis; stepfather to Stacey (the late Paul) Collaros and Tony (Mary Ann) Syrigas. Preceded in death by his brother Peter (the late Sophia) Gikas and sisters Yannoula, Georgia, Athanasia (the late Efthemios) Koutropoulos and Bessie (the late Thomas) Poulos, Alex is survived by one remaining sibling, his loving sister Vicky (the late Harry) Vardalos, and many nieces, nephews, in-laws and Koumbari. Alex also leaves behind eight grandchildren. All four of Alex’s children gave birth to sons and as a testament to their love and respect for their father, they all named their first-born sons, after Alex. His grandchildren are: Alex L. (Kara Greven) Kocsis, Katherine (Michael) Walker, Alex L. (Sophia Kassam) Gikas, Alex J. Gikas, Kara Gikas, Alex N. (Cortney) Gikas, Nina (Angelo) Stasis, Jenna (Jeff Brannick) Gikas. Alex was also blessed with two beautiful great granddaughters: Christina and Caroline. And he was also a doting Papou to Irene’s grandchildren Erini and Foti Collaros and Anthony Syrigas.

Alex was born in 1931 in the village of Agios Nicholas, Kalavryta, Greece, one of the seven children of Leonidas and Calliope (nee Levendopoulos) Gikas. In 1949, when he was only eighteen years old, Alex courageously left his large and loving family in Greece and travelled alone across the Atlantic, seizing the opportunity to come to the United States with the sponsorship of his uncle, Peter Levents, who owned and operated Peter Levent’s Restaurant on the 1200 block of Calumet Avenue in Whiting-Robertsdale. From his first days in America, Alex exhibited a Herculean work-ethic that was one of his defining attributes. He immediately took on a seven-day work week, working at U.S. Steel’s South Works Plant by day and at his uncle’s restaurant by night and on weekends.

In January 1958, Alex married Catherine “Kay” Rogiokos of Chicago. They raised their four children, Louis, James, Carol and Nick on 118th Street in Whiting-Robertsdale, near the Little League fields of Forsythe Park. While Alex left his family in Greece to pursue the American Dream, he did not abandon them. In the 1960s, with the relentless assistance of his wife Kay, Alex worked to bring four of his siblings, along with their spouses and young children, to America: Vicky (the late Harry) Vardalos, Bessie (the late Thomas) Poulos, Peter (the late Sophia) Gikas and Athanasia (the late Efthemios) Koutropoulos. The five families, with their combined nineteen children, lived within two or three blocks of each other. Alex and Kay provided the foundation on which the families flourished, as they assisted and guided them in ways big and small. For instance, every Sunday over the course of their entire childhoods, Kay loaded ten to twelve of her children, nieces and nephews into her big green Cadillac and drove them to and from Hammond’s St. Demetrois Greek Orthodox Church for Sunday School and to Kyria Davlantes’ Greek School every Tuesday and Thursday. Alex was deservedly proud of having brought the American Dream to his siblings and their children. Indeed, Alex was the venerated and beloved patriarch of his large extended family.

Also in the 1960s, Alex left the steel mills and embarked on a long entrepreneurial career, first by partnering with Art Parhas in an open-air produce market on the 7100 block of South State Street in Chicago. Alex went on to partner with and assist his sons and various nephews in establishing numerous thriving businesses, including Al’s Produce, L&P Wholesale Candy, A&G Wholesale Foods, Stoney Island Food Mart and Whiting Supermarket, just to name a few — all of which employed many members of the Gikas extended family. Alex led the way by example with his work-ethic, regularly working 12-hour days, six (and sometimes, seven) days a week, to not only ensure the success of the business ventures but, more importantly, to instill the same strong work ethic in his children and nephews.

Having ensured a firm footing for his children and other family members in the business world, Alex retired after decades of hard work. While he enjoyed the fruits of his labor, he maintained in retirement the dedication and regimentation that were hallmarks of his life. Thus, at 11 a.m. on any given day (except for Sunday when he was singing in the church choir), Alex could be found at Chicago Ridge Mall where he and Irene walked two-and-a-half miles a day, followed by coffee and fellowship with other retirees of Greek heritage. Alex was also active in and a proud member of AHEPA – Woodlawn Chapter and the Pan-Icarian Brotherhood.

Alex and Kay suffered the worst loss imaginable when, in 1983, their sweet and beloved daughter,

Carol, passed away at age 22, leaving behind her 18-month-old son, Alex L. Kocsis and her loving husband Louis. Unable to bear living in the same house that had once contained Carol’s joy and laughter, Alex and Kay moved to Oak Lawn in 1984. It is a testament to Alex’s constitution and strength of character that, while the heartbreaking loss of his daughter was a wound that never healed, as time went on, he was nonetheless able to experience joy and happiness throughout the remainder of his life. And having lost Kay, his cherish wife of nearly fifty years in 2007, all who loved him were delighted that he found love again in his adoring wife Irene who treasured and cared for Alex over the last 13 years of his remarkable life. Alex was tough, hard-working, and appropriately stern when necessary. But he was also full of life, fun, joy and laughter. He always sought out laughter. He loved to crack a joke, toss a humorous barb, and tell funny stories. Those he leaves behind fondly recall the indelible sound of his laughter.

Alex was also known for his unwavering love of America - a love initially born of the gratitude he felt when, as a teenager in Greece enduring the poverty that followed World War II, he received shoes and clothing supplied by the United States of America. And his love of country became deeply ingrained as he fully realized the bounty of the American Dream. After he arrived in America, nothing was handed to him as the blessings he secured were the product of his incredibly hard work, his integrity, and his enormous love of family. Alex L. Gikas will be greatly missed and long admired, respected, and loved. May his memory

be eternal.

Visitation with be from 9 a.m to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 9 at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 10301 South Kolmar Avenue, Oak Lawn, IL. Funeral services will commence at 10 a.m, with Fr. Stephen Bithos officiating. Interment will be at Elmwood Cemetery in Hammond, IN, with arrangements made by Blake-Lamb Funeral Home of Oak Lawn IL.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Oak Lawn.