Hristos Panagiotis Fotopoulos

Hristos, a loving husband, baba (father), pappou (grandfather), son, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at the age of 84.

Hristos was born in Perdikovrysi, Greece, located in the hills of southern Greece, to Panagiotis and Eleni Fotopoulos on April 19, 1939. He was a loving brother to his siblings, to include: his three brothers (Ioannis, Theodore, Demetri) and two sisters (Demetra, Froni). His family was known for growing olive trees and producing olive oil in the village. They lived a full life in the village while sharing their commitment and love of family, faith, culture, and tradition.

At eighteen years old, Hristos enlisted in the Greek National Military (Army) where he loyally served Greece for two years. During his years of service, he was stationed in Greece, notably in Tripoli.

Hristos married the love of his life Giannoula Karimbakas, of Perdikovrysi, Greece, on April 17, 1966, in their village in Greece. They were blessed with four children: son Panagiotis (Pete), daughter Eleni, son Petros and son Ioannis (Johnny).

In 1968, Hristos and Giannoula made the bold decision to move to the United States in search of greater opportunities for their growing family. When they arrived in the United States, they lived in Seattle, WA, with their son Pete and later welcomed their daughter, Eleni, and son, Petros. While in Seattle, Hristos initially worked at Best Pies Bakery. In 1971, Giannoula returned to Greece with their three children while Hristos moved to Chicago, IL, and worked in a candy factory with other Greek immigrants. Following a short time in Chicago, Hristos moved back west for warmer winters to Seattle, WA. In approximately 1977, Giannoula and their three children at the time returned to Seattle, WA and soon after, the couple welcomed their fourth child. Close in time to the birth of their youngest child, Johnny, they ultimately settled in Shoreline, WA where Hristos and Giannoula purchased their longtime family home that remains in the family today. Hristos was known to often work multiple jobs at once, while supporting his family. However, for many years he worked at a foundry in SODO where he formally retired after over twenty years of service.

Following his retirement from the foundry, Hristos and his son, Petros, made their shared dream of owning a restaurant a reality in May 1996 when they opened Petro’s Pizza & Pasta nestled in the Admiral Junction in West Seattle. Soon after opening Petro’s Pizza & Pasta, they set their sights on Alki Beach in West Seattle. After finding an ideal beach location, they designed and built a beautiful restaurant on the first floor and a spacious condominium on the second floor, for Hristos and Giannoula to call home. They opened their second restaurant called Christo’s on Alki in December 2000, which continues to happily serve the community today. For over twenty-seven years, you would often find Hristos’ sons, daughter, and grandchildren serving guests their favorite menu items.

In addition to being a hard-working and proud husband, father, and grandfather, Hristos was someone who loved the outdoors, treasured his community, remained dedicated to his faith, and was proud of his Greek culture. He was an avid gardener who maintained numerous fruit trees, as well as a garden filled with vegetables and fruit at the family’s Shoreline, WA, home. He loved the outdoors and specifically travelling to Eastern Washington, whether he was visiting local farmers, having bird hunting adventures with family and friends, finding local spring water, or picking the fruit that was in-season. There was never a fruit or vegetable he didn’t like to pick. He also truly loved visiting with all guests and friends at the restaurant and it wasn’t uncommon for Hristos, known as Papa to many at the restaurant, to be an impromptu plus-one at a table. He was a welcome guest to all. Hristos also maintained his dedication to his Greek Orthodox faith. Often being a generous contributor to church events and celebrations. Intertwined with his commitment to the Greek Orthodox faith was the connection he maintained with his Greek culture and traditions. This was an absolute constant for Hristos, whether he was flying his Greek flag at Alki, cooking his favorite meals that always had a taste of Greece, celebrating holidays or sharing his stories of the village. His legacy is one of hard-work, resilience, community, family, and culture.

In addition to Hristos’ parents and in-laws, Hristos was preceded in death by his brothers Ioannis, Theodore, and Demetri, his sister Demetra and her husband, his sister Froni and her husband, and his sister-in-law Stella Kyriazis.

Hristos is survived by many family members and friends, to include, but not limited to: his wife, Giannoula, his son, Pete Fotopoulos, his daughter, Eleni (Jonathan) French, his son, Petros (Shawna) Fotopoulos, and his son, Johnny (Chelsea) Fotopoulos; and his grandchildren Alex, Katie, Austin, Yianna, Nikolas and Yanni. He is also survived by many brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Visitation held Friday, August 11, 2023 at Evergreen Washelli Funeral Home 4:00PM-8:00PM (Trisagion prayer service at 6:00PM.)

The funeral service will be held at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Seattle, WA, and is scheduled for Saturday, August 12, 2023, at 9:30am. Following the service, interment and a reception will take place at Evergreen Washelli in Seattle, WA.