Pete G. Maniatis

Pete Maniatis, 92, went to be with his Lord on November 5^th 2018.

Pete was born on September 26^th, 1926 in Pikerni, Greece. He was the oldest of 7 children and spent his childhood helping his father herd goats in the Greek countryside. Pete was in Greece during the Nazi occupation in WWII; not only did he survive the war by hiding with his family in the mountains as the Nazi's invaded his village, but he also endured through the Greek Civil War that erupted in Greece shortly after WWII ended.

He found his way to the United States in 1951. One of Pete's first jobs in the U.S. was working in a restaurant called Bit o' Scotland. He then met the love of his life, Tula Manelis, in Cheyenne, Wyoming and the two wed in 1954. They were happily married for 62 years before Tula's passing on August 20^th, 2016.

Once Pete had established his life in America, he brought his parents, sisters, and brothers over and helped each one of them integrate themselves into their new home. Only one of his brother's remained in Greece.

It was with his brothers that he ran his first restaurant called Greens, which was located on Wazee Street in Denver, Colorado. It was later remolded and called Old No 7. Pete also co-owned the Old Lighthouse in Glendale, Colorado. Pete was one of the friendliest chefs in Denver; he was famous for his hospitality, chicken, and rice pudding. It's safe to say Pete's calling was always in the kitchen. He was at his happiest when he was with other chefs; from roasting potatoes to making Greek yogurt from scratch, he loved bringing friends and family together through his love of food. Pete was never satisfied until everyone's bellies were full and even then, he was still offering seconds.

After dabbling in the restaurant business, he was a chef at the Cherry Hills Country Club. He retired in the ‘90s but continued to offer his cooking expertise to the Assumption of the Theotokos Cathedral in Denver and the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Orlando, Florida - feeding thousands during the yearly Greek festival events. He dedicated his life to the church and to helping and feeding his community.

However, Pete's biggest dream was to re-build St. Barbara's church in his home village. For months he dreamt about resurrecting the church that was destroyed by the Ottoman Empire. With the help of family, friends, and members of the Greek community, he finally achieved his dream. In 2002, he was able to go to the Church's consecration in Pikerni surrounded by his family. It was one of the proudest moments of his life and he spoke of it often.

Pete was always full of optimism and was an inspiration to so many individuals; during his 92 years on this earth he taught everyone to live their lives to the fullest, approach every day as if it were their last, and to always have a good sense of humor. He brought smiles to everyone's lips and kept everyone healthy, happy, and most importantly, full. He did everything in his life for his family and cherished his 2 children, 5 grandchildren, and great-grand child with all of his heart.

Pete is survived by children Dean (Lee) Maniatis and Maria (Costa) Alavezos; grandchildren Peter Constantine Matthew (Theresa Joux Neisen) Maniatis, James Andrew Bridger Maniatis, Luke Christian John Maniatis, Evyenia Fotini Alavezos and Marcie Paula Alavezos; great-grand child Peter Henry Maniatis; siblings Tula Poggas, Aristea Zaffer, and George Maniatis; and many other loving family members and friends.

Trisagion: November 10, 2018 10:00 am - 10:30 am

Assumption of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Metropolis Cathedral
4610 East Alameda Avenue
Denver, CO 80246

Funeral Service: November 10, 2018 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

Assumption of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Metropolis Cathedral
4610 East Alameda Avenue
Denver, CO 80246

Graveside Service: November 10, 2018 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm

Fairmount Cemetery
430 S Quebec Street
Denver, CO 80247