Lee Fotis Paulos

On Friday, June 19th, after a hard-fought battle with cancer we lost our beloved husband, Baba, Papou, Theo, Koumbaro, Nono and friend. Lee was born in Piana, Greece on January 25, 1937 to Fotis and Dimitra Petropoulos. He was the youngest of seven siblings. He spent the first 18 years of his life in Greece with his family, having many memories of that time. He graduated high-school in Greece and then immigrated to the United States in 1955 as a young 18 year old man in search of opportunities. He found them by proudly serving in the United States Army from 1961-1963, and then soon after met the love of his life, Maria Koukoulias Paulos through his best friend Pete Koukoulias. Lee and Maria married shortly after and began their long-lasting life together. Lee was a lionhearted business man eager to take a chance on his next chapter in life. With Maria by his side, in 1972 they opened the first Greek Souvlaki bringing Utah their first yeero’s (gyros) and souvlaki’s. He and Maria proudly served their customers for over 30 years. Lee was never without a smile and a friendly handshake to greet all of their customers.

After he retired, he could be found at a favorite slot machine in Wendover or a road trip with dear friends spent in Las Vegas. Lee was an outdoorsman in his younger years, enjoying hunting, fishing, boating, and sharing this with his boys. He was an avid Utah Jazz fan and wouldn’t miss a game. On any given week, he and Maria could be found at the downtown Greek Souvlaki enjoying lunch and always a cup of coffee to follow visiting with long-time customers and friends. This was something he truly enjoyed.

He will always be remembered for his generosity and his kindness to everyone, his infectious smile and sense of humor. He and all of his many other attributes will be truly missed.

Lee is preceded in death by his parents Fotis and Dimitra Petropoulos, son Nick Paulos, siblings Eleni, Tassos, Teli and Spirithoula.

Lee is survived by his devoted wife Maria, son Frank (Mary), son Leo (Tobi), son Chris (Amy), grandchildren Nina, Maddie, Niko, Ellie, Liam, Mila, Olivia and his siblings Efstathia & Aristea, many loving nieces & nephews and Godchildren here in the United States and in Greece.

A special thank you to Dr. Perla Thulin, Dr. Sumati Gupta and Dr. Jennifer Norris and all of the staff at Legacy Village.

Funeral services will be held outdoors solely at the Mount Olivet Cemetery 1342 East 500 South Salt Lake CIty, Utah 84102 on Friday June 26th at 10:00am . Social distancing will be maintained. We ask that out of respect for the family and other attendees that you present wearing a mask and maintain this during the service. For those unable to attend, a live-stream will be available at www.facebook.com/WasatchLawnMemorial

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in his honor.