PERGAKIS, John 1934-2002

PERGAKIS

Posted By: Jeffrey R. Phillips (email)
Date: 1/14/2005 at 08:15:14

John Pergakis
By: 05/22/2002

Oct. 15, 1934-May 11, 2002

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-John Pergakis, 67, died of lung cancer Saturday, May 11, 2002, at Fairview Southdale Hospital in Minneapolis. Services were held Tuesday, May 14, at the Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis, and a brief memorial service was held that evening.

John was born in Greece on Oct. 15, 1934, and came to the United States as a teenager to earn money for his four sisters' dowries. He began working in his uncle's restaurant, the Princess, in Iowa Falls, making hamburgers and mints. A few years later he moved to the Twin Cities, but returned to Greece for a visit and met his future wife. They were married in three weeks and he brought her to America to live. They had two children. He served as maitre d' at upscale restaurants in Minneapolis, and later the Decathlon Hotel and Athletic Club in Bloomington.

He is survived by his wife; a son, Vlasis and a daughter, Georgia; four sisters and a brother.

©Iowa Falls Times-Citizen 2005

Odell Johnson May, 23 2002
I only met John Pergakis one time and it may be of interest to you. In the mid 60s my wife and I were in the Twin Cities for the Iowa-Minnesota Football Game. On Friday night we dined at Harrys, an upscale TC restuarant and our waiter was a personable and attentive. He was,in my opinion from Europe, so I asked him where he was from and when he said, "Iowa Falls, Iowa", I almost fell out of my chair.