George B. Fotoplos

George B. Fotoplos

November 14, 1924- October 3, 2023

VISITATION: Sunday, October 8, 2023, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., West Center Chapel, 7805 West Center Road,  followed by a TRISAGION (PRAYER SERVICE): at 6 p.m. FUNERAL SERVICE: Monday, October 9, 2023, 10:30 a.m., St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, 602 Park Ave. INTERMENT: Evergreen Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church. To view a live broadcast of the Service, please go to www.heafeyheafey.com and click the “Live Cast” button at the top of the home page.

George Fotoplos was born in Monastiraki, Arkadia Greece, on November 14, 1924. His father was Basilios Fotopoulos, and his mother was Margarita (Tsika) Fotopoulos. He had 5 siblings. His parents lived in New Jersey, USA, where they had 3 children: Nick, Frank and Angeliki, then went back to Greece and had 3 more children: George, Eleni, and Olympia. Olympia is the only survivor.

George served in the Greek Army, was an expert marksman and rode a Harley Davidson. He was stationed in the town of Didimotihon, in the northeast border of Greece and Turkey. That’s where he met Dimitra, a beautiful, smart, and witty young lady. After several years of being stationed in other surrounding towns, they exchanged letters and pictures that Dimitra kept till the day she died.

Her daughter has also saved them.

George and Dimitra got married on October 21, 1951, had a son, Niko in 1954, and a daughter, Margarita in 1956. They bought a retail clothing store. On his buying trips to Athens and other big cities, he would always bring one of a kind and specialty items for his wife and kids.

In 1965, his brother, Frank and sister, Olympia, who now lived in Omaha, Nebraska, wanted George and his family to move. In August 1967, they arrived in Omaha, where they both worked. After a year they bought a house and lived there for over 50 years.

Several years after buying the house, they opened the first Gyro restaurant in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, George’s Greek Gyros. After a few years, they retired, but George could not just stay home. He helped a family friend open Katy’s Gyros. After several years, Katy sold the restaurant and moved back to Greece. George helped with the sale of what is now Fetas Gyros. He continued to help there until his early 90s.

When his wife, Dimitra, passed in 2015, he moved in with his daughter, Margaret, where he peacefully passed on October 3, 2023.

He loved to garden, made the best spanakopita, loved to tell jokes and stories, especially from his younger days.

He also loved his family and friends, especially his only grandchild, Nick, and wife, Krystin, and great-grandchildren: Hunter, Avery, and Gavin. He also loved very much his many nieces and nephews who brought him laughter and joy.

George Fotoplos “Uncle George” will be greatly missed.