Christos Panagiotis Petropoulos, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, father-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle, and friend, left peacefully on Sunday, January 23, 2022, surrounded with love by his wife and children to join our Lord.
Chris, the fourth eldest of 8 siblings, was born in Niforeika, Greece, on March 25, 1927. He endured many hardships, but always dreamed of a better life for himself and his family. Αt the young age of 17, he was the first to leave his village for Athens in search of a better way to support himself and his family.
During the ten years he lived in Athens, he worked in a grocery store, while on weekends, he sold chewing gum and other items to send money back home. Life was difficult, and due to World War II, the economy was not prosperous. It was during this time that Chris started to hear stories about America, the land of opportunity for young people.
During the summer of 1955, by luck or destiny, he met a man named Dan Stathos, who changed his life. Mr. Stathos, who lived in Austin, was visiting relatives in Athens and met Chris there. Because Chris was respected and admired by those who knew him, Mr. Stathos agreed to sponsor Chris to come to the United States. On September 25, 1955, Chris boarded the ship Queen Friederike and traveled for 13 days across the Atlantic ocean to New York. He then traveled by train to Austin, Texas, arriving on October 9, 1955, with only ninety dollars in his pocket and the hope of the American dream.
Once in Austin, Chris started working for Mr. Stathos at his liquor store on 15th and Lavaca, in exchange for helping him immigrate. Chris was a hard worker who, besides his 11-hour days at the liquor store, also did many other odd jobs – from working as a dormitory janitor to selling pecans that he had gathered, and many others. And yet, he also had the determination to make time to learn English by attending evening school four days per week for four years. These were difficult times for Chris, a stranger in a strange land. Although all his family and everything familiar and dear to him were thousands of miles away, he kept in touch with his Greek traditions and with his family through the many letters he wrote, maintaining his faith and determination to succeed. He never gave up.
On June 16, 1961, in San Antonio, Chris took the oath to become an American citizen, and in October 1962, he opened his own business, Chris's Package Store on Cameron Rd., that later became Chris’s Liquor #1, followed by Chris #2 on Lamar, and then OakHill Liquors in South Austin. His dream of being his own boss had become a reality and an article about him was published in the Austin American Statesman on Monday, November 12, 1962, entitled "For Young Greek-Rags Riches Story Comes True Here". Chris loved his customers, firmly believed in providing the best customer service, and so, his customers loved him back. Many of them would even bring him food during the holidays and offer their support and encouragement during difficult times.
Ten years after leaving his beloved Greece, he went back to reunite with his family, and he did it in style – transformed into a Texan with a nice suit, nice shoes, and of course, a cowboy hat. During this trip, he met and married the love of his life, Konstantina Spanos. They became two peas in a pod, life partners in a foreign land, supporting one another with much love and blessings, and Chris' wife fondly came to be known from the customers as “Mrs. C."
Chris was always thankful for the many opportunities and blessings this country offered him, and he would often remind his children, "You are an American by birth, but I'm an American by choice." Chris made it his mission to help others in need because he remembered the hardships he endured and did not want that for others. Chris loved a challenge and continued to work throughout his golden years, managing his affairs and providing advice and support to anyone who asked or was willing to listen. He was a mentor to many people he loved and was proud of their success.
Chris was very dedicated to his family and loved them more than anything on this earth. He was proud of his three children and proud that his son continued his legacy with the family business. He was the epitome of hard work, dedication, sacrifice, and true grit. He fought hard through every challenge he faced throughout his life and never complained. He loved big and never hesitated to help someone in need. He was respected and admired by all those who knew him.
Chris was preceded in death by his parents, Panagiotis and Eleni Petropoulos, his brothers Georgios Petropoulos, Nikos Petropoulos, Gerasimos Petropoulos, sisters Vasiliki Demiri, and Yanoula Stergioti.
Chris is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Mrs. Konstantina Petropoulos, daughter, Helen Petropoulos Bikos and her husband Kostas Bikos, daughter Mary Petropoulos, MD, and her husband Andreas Kotziapashis, and son Pete Petropoulos and his wife Cecilia Petropoulos; his grandchildren whom he adored Christos Takopoulos, Nikos Bikos, Konstantina Bikos, Dorian Guadiana, Carolina Zaldivar, Christina Petropoulos, and Leonidas Petropoulos; brother Apostolos Petropoulos and his wife Christina Petropoulos; nephews Takis Petropoulos and his wife Irini Petropoulos, and their children Marios, Christina, Aggelos; Tony Petropoulos and his daughter Paolina; sister Kaliopi Tsolakis and her husband Kostas Tsolakis and niece Katerina Tsolakis and nephews Apostolos and Panagiotis Tsolakis, brother in law Kostas Spanos and his wife Vasiliki Spanos; nephews George Spanos MD and his wife Brooke Spanos, MD, and their children Ethan and Evan, and Panagiotis Spanos and his wife Emily Spanos and their son Dino; brother in law Dimitri Spanos and his wife Mary Spanos and daughter Vassia her husband Yianni and their daughter Mary, niece Sofia Petropoulos, as well as several other nieces, nephews, and dear friends in Greece, Austin and across the world.
The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to his doctors, nurses, and clinical staff, who provided medical care with such love and compassion. He was always very grateful. His resilience and strength is an example for us all.
A private service will be held for the family.
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