A celebration of life service will be held for Louis Theodore Pontikas, 70, at 11 o’clock on Saturday, August 1, 2020 at Dunbar Funeral Home, Dutch Fork Chapel. The family will receive friends from 10:00 – 11:00am one hour before the service at the funeral home. Social distancing will be maintained and masks will be available. In addition, the service will be livestreamed on Facebook under Dunbar Funeral Home, Dutch Fork Chapel. A private entombment will be held at a later date in Albemarle, NC.
Lou passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family in the early morning of Tuesday, July 28, 2020 from a courageous battle with cancer. Lou was born in Newark, New Jersey to Theodore Louis and Josephine Passarella Pontikas. In 1968, he graduated from Nutley High School, Nutley NJ, where he excelled in baseball. In 1973, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ. He moved to South Carolina as a salesman with the Nestle Corporation soon thereafter.
In 1984, he began his career as an investment advisor with Bankers Trust which was ultimately merged with Merrill Lynch. Lou retired from Merrill Lynch after a 35-year career where he achieved a role as Senior Vice President. He loved talking with his clients and staying current with the news surrounding the stock market. When he was not talking about the market though, he was talking about his children and family.
Lou is survived by his wife of 30 years, Patricia Oettinger Pontikas; his daughter, Alexandra Leigh Pontikas of Charlotte, NC; his son, Matthew Louis Pontikas of Charlotte, NC; his sister, Susan Pontikas Burgess (Lenny) of Cliffwood Beach, NJ; and another sister, Mary Pontikas Petrasek (Bob) of Montague, NJ. He is predeceased by an older sister, Evelyn Pontikas Pelais (Joey) of Nutley, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Lou’s memory to Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, 5637 Bush River Road, Columbia, SC 29212 or Sharing God’s Love, 147 Friarsgate Blvd, Irmo, SC 29063.
May God bless all the family and friends who have offered prayers and shown love and concern during this time of loss.
Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.
