Athanasios Dourmas

February 17, 1935 – August 16, 2025

Athanasios “Tom” Dourmas, 90, of Vancouver, passed away peacefully at

Vancouver General Hospital on August 16, 2025, surrounded by family.

Born in the mountain village of Steni, Greece, in 1935, Athanasios began

life with little material wealth but an abundance of determination,

charisma, and spirit.

In 1961, he married his beloved Stavroula in

Eleusina, and together they built the foundation of a family that became

his pride and his purpose. They welcomed three daughters — Aikaterini

(Catherine) in 1962, Asimina (Mina) in 1963, and Christina in 1966 — and

just two years later set out for Canada, seeking opportunity and a

brighter future. After arriving in Montreal in 1968, they made their way

west to Vancouver in 1970. By 1972, Athanasios had proudly purchased the

family’s first home, which quickly became a gathering place overflowing

with music, food, laughter, and the open-door hospitality that defined

him.

Athanasios never did anything halfway. He worked tirelessly, chasing

opportunities with courage and ingenuity. While buying and selling

homes, he also invested in an apartment building on Cordova and Main,

where he welcomed low-income tenants. For him, it was never just about

providing housing — he often arrived with food, conversation, and

friendship, offering dignity to those society too often overlooked.

Helping others was not charity to him; it was who he was.

With the same drive, he founded Zorba’s Bakery, a small Greek bakeshop

he built with his own hands and vision. That humble shop grew into

Zorba’s Foods, which became one of the largest Greek food wholesalers in

Western Canada. Through it, he brought the flavors of Greece into

countless homes and restaurants, weaving his culture into the fabric of

his new country.

Music was the rhythm of his life. He idolized the voice of Stelios

Kazantzidis and found inspiration in Mikis Theodorakis, the composer of

his favorite film, Zorba the Greek. In 1984, with his characteristic

boldness, Athanasios fulfilled a lifelong dream by bringing Theodorakis

himself to Vancouver to perform at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. It was a

moment of triumph — not just for him, but for the entire Greek community

he loved so deeply. He lived by Zorba’s philosophy: to seize life fully,

with joy, passion, and resilience.

Athanasios was a man of great spirit, the first to dance, the first to

burst out in song, the first to joke, the first to make friends with

strangers. He was a very generous man and a man of great vitality and

warmth. He lived his life large until his final days. His beloved wife

and daughters were in constant attendance at his side in his last weeks.

He died with grace and honour, befitting the man that he was. He was

always quick with a smile and a joke, and that is how he will be

remembered by his loving family.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Stavroula; his daughters Aikaterini

(Catherine) (Peter), Asimina (Mina) (Angelo), and Christina; his nine

grandchildren — Jasmina, Marie, Stephanie, Costa, Tomislav, Eleni,

Stamati, Athan, and Thanasi; and his treasured great-grandchildren,

Filip (with whom he shared his birthday) and Georgia. He also leaves

behind many nieces and nephews throughout Canada and across Europe, all

of whom felt the force of his love and generosity. Athanasios was

predeceased by his much-loved son-in-law, Ari, as well as by his parents

and siblings in Greece.

A funeral service will be held at Sts. Nicholas and Dimitrios Greek

Orthodox Church at 4541 Boundary Rd. in Vancouver on Monday, August 25,

2025, at 1:30 p.m., with interment to follow at Forest Lawn Cemetery at

3789 Royal Oak Ave. in Burnaby.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to the staff of Vancouver General

Hospital for their care and compassion during his time there, as well as

to Father Tim and Father Niko for coming to his bedside and giving their

blessings over him in his final days.

Athanasios lived life with open arms, open doors, and an open heart. He

was unforgettable — a man whose generosity, spirit, and joy will ripple

through his family and community for generations to come.

Athanasios loved and feared God. Every day he prayed and no matter whose table he sat at or where he was in the world he always did his cross before his meal. He always gave thanks! Doxa to Theo! he would say. He was a member of the Hellenic Community of Vancouver and of Greek Orthodox Church of Vancouver. To show God his gratitude and love he commissioned an Icon of St Spyrydon (for his late brother Spiro who was killed by the German Nazis in WW2 just outside Athens) to be painted in St George’s Greek Cathedral in Vancouver. He also built up a small church near his village Steni as well as contributing to the repairs and rebuilds of many small churches in Greece. Athansios loved God and God loved him back.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Union Gospel Mission would be appreciated.

Grandpa

Our Grandpa meant more to us

More than words can ever say

To remember all the things we did

Is only a memory away

You were our Grandpa and our friend

And it makes us happy

You are free of pain

Our love for you will never end

And you will never suffer again

Rest Grandpa, sleep Grandpa,

In time our broken hears will mend

Our tears will dry,

But our love for you will never die,

And our memories will never end.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MountPleasantFuneral.com for the Dourmas family.