Nikolaos Grecousis

Nikolaos, aka Nick, aka Nikos, was born in Lixouri, Kefallonia, Greece. He came to the U.S. as a Merchant Marine but he jumped ship sometime in the 1950's. He made his way to Denver, Colorado where he met Maria Vafeades in a Greek restaurant where she worked as a waitress. They married in 1953, then packed up and moved to San rancisco, California where they ended up raising 4 children. The INS caught up with Nick around 1955 and issued orders to deport him but Mary pleaded with them not to send him back to Greece since she would be alone with two young toddlers. I guess the INS felt sorry for her so they didn't send him back to Greece but to Mexico instead where he stayed until he could re-enter the U.S. legally. Nick applied for U.S. citizenship & was passed even though when he was asked who the 1st President of the U.S. was, his answer was "George Christopher". With just a 2nd grade education and unfamiliar with the language, Nick started off as a dishwasher, then went on to become a house painter where he worked for many years. After saving up, he bought A & A Liquors @ 1589 Haight Street, right in the heart of the Haight-Ashbury in 1967 and owned that liquor store for over 20 years before he sold it. In his retirement, Nick would spend 1/2 of his time in his homeland of Kefallonia, and the other half in S.F. In 1996 he and Mary moved to Novato, California to live closer to their oldest daughter Chryse and her family. He took up gardening in his backyard where he grew garlic, onions, tomatoes, & oregano. Nick loved his Greek heritage and enjoyed listening to Greek songs, "cantades" being his favorites, along with the Trio Belcanto. He also loved to experiment in the kitchen and was a really good cook. Nick passed away suddenly at his home from a massive heart attack on Aug. 4, 2000 with Mary close by. He was cremated and his ashes were taken back to Greece where he was buried with his dad Theoharris, and his younger brother Vangelis. Even though his burial site shows Athens as the city he was buried in, he was actually buried in Lixouri, Kefallonia Greece.