Peter Mitsakos

Peter Nicholas Mitsakos,88, of Hopewell, VA .and former resident of Binghampton, NY, Rockville, MD, and Tarpon Springs, FL. Passed away at John Randolph Hospital on August 18, 2006. Born January 18, 1918 in Lowell, Massachusetts, he was one of nine children born to the late Nicholas and Maria Mitsakos. He was predeceased by his wife Helen Vriones Mitsakos and four brothers, William, Theodore, Efstratios and Andrew Mitsakos, three sisters, Stella Sarris, Margaret Bazos, and Sophia Verras.

He is survived by his two daughters, Mary Ann Vonetes; son-in-law, Dean A. Vonetes and Patricia Papadopoulos; son-in-law Peter B. Papadopoulos all of Hopewell; five grandchildren, Michele Vonetes Bongiovanni and her husband Robert Bongiovanni of Hillsborough, NJ., Alfred D. Vonetes of Rosslyn,VA; Basile P. Papadopoulos of Hopewell; Andra E. Papadopoulos of Chester, VA; and Alex P. Papadopoulos of Hopewell, VA; three great grandchildren; Nicholas Peter Bongiovanni, Peri Bongiovanni and Alex Bongiovanni of Hillsborough, NJ. He is survived by his sister Cynthia Mitsakos Stathakaros and her husband Tony of Tarpon Spring, Fl. and several nieces and nephews.

Peter â??Redâ? Mitsakos quarterbacked the Lowell Blackhawks semi-pro football team in 1939 and 1940. Having attended Lowell Institute of technology, Peter graduated with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He later served as an engineer attached to the Army Air Corps at Hickam Field in Honolulu, Hawaii during World War II. He was in charge of servicing and test piloted the plane â??The Enola Gayâ? for Jimmy Doolittle which played a major part in ending the war.

Mr. Mitsakos owned and operated numerous restaurants, diners, cafeterias and bakeries throughout his food service career. Peter Mitsakos was a member of the Saint Elpis Greek Orthodox Church in Hopewell. A member of the Order of AHEPA for more than 50 years, he served as a chapter president of the Leonides Chapter in Binghampton, NY and was a Past District Lieutenant Governor of the Empire District #6 before transferring to Steve Kolidakis Chapter in Hopewell, VA.
An AHEPA service followed by a Trisagion Prayer service will be held at 7p.m. Sunday, August 20, 2006, at the Hopewell Chapel of J. T. Morriss& Son Funeral Home and Cremation service.
Visitation will follow the prayer service until 8:30 p.m.
A Christian burial will be celebrated on Monday, August 21st at 11:00 a.m. in Saint Elpis Greek Orthodox Church.
Interment will be at Appomattox Cemetery, Hopewell, VA. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Saint Elpis Greek Orthodox Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 1204, Hopewell, VA.23860 or The Alzheimers Association,4600 Cox Rd.-Suite 130, Glen Allen, VA.23060 Condolences may be registered with www.jtmorriss.com