Mr. John P. Vallas Sr.

Known to friends as Johnny and to his seven grandchildren as Papou, he was born on May 16, 1926 to Efemia Dragatis Vallas and Pete James Vallas, natives of Patmos, Greece.

He graduated from Martinsferry High School in 1943. Entering the U.S. Army, he served as a tank operator in World War II and left the military as a corporal at war's end having served just under two years. Upon leaving the military, he took his first job with Wheeling Steel Corporation following his father's path.

Finding that he and factory work did not agree, he and his oldest Brother Jimmy (James P. Vallas) moved to Port Orange, Florida to be near their older sister Helen Burgess and her husband Pete who owned a restaurant in Deland, Florida. Johnny and Jimmy purchased The Pines Supper Club and operated it successfully until they sold it the following year with plans to follow their sister and brother-in-law to Houston, Texas. With his profits, Johnny bought a Chrysler Town & Country convertible and with Jimmy set out for Houston. At their Mother's insistence, they stopped on their drive through Mobile to meet distant cousins, the Coumanis family, who talked them into staying the weekend to attend a wedding at The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, then located on the corner of Government and Dearborn Streets.

Fortuitously, Johnny's car was stolen from outside the church and he vowed to not leave Mobile until it was found. Jimmy went back to Ohio. This gave Johnny the opportunity to begin falling in love with Mobile and not being one to stay idle he worked for several Greek restauranteurs in various capacities further learning the business. At different times he managed The Snack Shop at the corner of Springhill Avenue and Pine Street and The Snack Shop at the corner of Government Street and Washington Avenue. In 1949 he took a vacant alley beside the Cawthon Hotel on St. Francis Street facing Bienville Square and opened Johnny's News Stand. He was introduced to Mr. Gus Kriticos of Galveston, Texas who was visiting Mobile to raise money to send to the Monastery in Patmos and Johnny was volunteered to be his chauffeur.

Mr. Kriticos offered Johnny a job if he ever found himself in Galveston so Johnny sold the news stand and moved to Galveston becoming Mr. Kriticos' night manager at The Seawall Cafe which was open 24 hours a day. After two years of the night shift and tiring of no night life, Johnny ventured back to Mobile, with the profits he had saved, and with the novel idea of opening one of Mobile's first drive-in restaurants. Settling on a vacant lot near the western end of Government Street at The Loop, and near Murphy High School, he opened Johnny's Drive-In on September 4, 1954, Labor Day weekend. The teenager's from Murphy broke through the barricades before they could be moved on opening day to be one of the first to try out the novelty and Johnny's profits soared. As has been reported in several publications, a little known Elvis Presley parked at Johnny's one Friday night and sitting on the hood of his car played his guitar and sang to a gathering crowd until Johnny chased him off because people were spending more time listening to Elvis than spending with Johnny.

Johnny married Katherine Dominic Vitsaras of Deland, Florida whom he had met years earlier in his Port Orange days. Katina, as his wife is known to friends, grew up in the restaurant business, albeit the white table cloth variety, at her parent's Dominic's Restaurant and vowed to never marry a restauranteur, but succumbed to Johnny's 19 cent or six for a dollar hamburgers.

Johnny slowly moved his entire family south starting with his youngest Brother Billy (William P. Vallas) to help run Johnny's. Then he sent for Brother Lou (Louis P. Vallas) and set him up in business a year later with Lou's Drive-In on New Highway 90 near McVay Drive. Tiring of the drive west, they sold Lou's and opened The Oasis Drive-In on St. Stephen's Road in Toulminville. Lastly, Brother Jimmy followed suit and bought the Chick-n-Box at The Loop. The four brothers then moved their parents to Mobile to retire. A few years later Johnny and The Brothers ventured even further west and opened The Jim Dandy Drive-In also on Highway 90 just east of its intersection with Azalea Road. They modeled their new establishment after a Shoney's Restaurant they had spied and were doing such a brisk business and having done just a little too good a job of copying Shoney's that Shoney's vowed to sue unless The Brothers sold, which they did and the business failed within the year. Afterwards Brother Billy, ready for his own place, opened Bronco Bill's near Municipal Park. Johnny also opened the Royal Coach with his brother-in-law Nick Stratas and the two helped their friend Steve Chronas set up shop at the Royal Knight. As times changed, Johnny changed with them and remodeled Johnny's Drive-In into Captain John's Seafood House which he operated until his retirement in 1994 after forty years in the same location at 1960 Government Street.

Johnny was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Lou and Billy; his sister, Helen; and a son, Victor John Vallas.

He is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Katherine Vitsaras Vallas; three sons, Pete J. Vallas (Mark D. Davis), James J. Vallas and John P. Vallas, Jr. (Lesley); and seven grandchildren; John Anthony Vallas, Jordan Yeager Vallas, John Paul Vallas, Alexandra Katherine Vallas, Katherine Irene Vallas, Ella Marie Vallas, Victor Christian Vallas; brother, James P. Vallas (Lily); nieces, nephews, and many friends.

Funeral services will be held at The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 50 South Ann Street, on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at twelve o'clock noon. The family will receive friends at the church prior to the service from 10:00 until the service hour. Interment will follow at Magnolia Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church.

Condolences may be offered at www.radneyfuneralhome-mobile.com.