Peter Georgelos, a longtime resident of Roselle and former co-owner of the Rose Restaurant in Roselle, the Dover Inn in Mt. Prospect, the Dover Straits in Mundelein and the Park Ridge Cafe, died of heart failure in Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center a day after his 64th birthday.
“This was a man who worked his way through life starting with literally nothing. He was an average man who achieved above average things,” said his son Spiro.
The eighth of nine children in a small farming-town family in Greece, Mr. Georgelos started his life in very humble surroundings, his son said.
At age 18, he followed his two older brothers to America against the wishes of his mother. He arrived in New York with no money and not knowing English.
He worked in several restaurants in Arizona and North Carolina before settling in Chicago. “He did anything to survive in those days. He always had a natural feel for cooking. He started off washing dishes and finally worked his way up to being the cook,” his son said.
Mr. Georgelos went back to Greece in 1967 to marry Barbara, his wife of 35 years. The couple moved to Roselle in a house adjacent to a restaurant Mr. Georgelos started with his partner, Adam Thanos.
The doors of the Rose Restaurant opened in 1970 and closed in 1975. “He would just roll out of bed and head to the restaurant,” his son said.
The family never moved out of Roselle.
Mr. Georgelos and his partner established a highly accredited steakhouse, The Dover Inn in Mt. Prospect in 1976.
Three years later, the two and another partner, Spiro Thanos, opened The Dover Straits seafood house in Mundelein. The restaurants were sold in 1984.
In 1990, Mr. Georgelos ventured out by himself and opened the Park Ridge Cafe. Because of declining health, Mr. Georgelos got out of the restaurant business in 1997.
“The restaurant business is a very stressful business. And my father was hardworking. He worked seven days a week, every week, every month. He was not the type of guy to take a day off,” his son said.
Despite working long hours at his restaurants, Mr. Georgelos was devoted to his family, his son said.
“He left such an excellent legacy. He was a beautiful father who never said an ill word to anyone. He was a selfless man who put everyone ahead of himself,” his son said.
In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Georgelos is survived by sons George and Paul; a daughter, Joann; sisters Maria Hronopoulos, Betty Zois, Nicoletta Giannopoulos and Rita Andrianopoulos; brothers Nick and John; and a grandchild.
Visitation will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, in Salerno’s Rosedale Chapels, 450 W. Lake St., Roselle. Services will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the funeral home, followed by an 11 a.m. funeral in St. Demetrois Greek Orthodox Church, 893 Church Rd., Elmhurst.
