Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

January 19, 2022

ROCK HILL – Konstantinos (Gus) Demetrios Katsoudas, 93, passed away at his home on Wednesday, January 19, 2022.  Mr. Katsoudas was born on January 6, 1929, in Klapsion, Evrytania, Greece.  He was the youngest of four siblings to Demetrios and Fotini (Bakoula) Katsoudas. 

Mr. Katsoudas grew up during the war with his mother and sisters.  His father and brother were in America sending money home to support the family.  The war prevented his father from returning to Klapsion leaving Mr. Katsoudas “the man of the house” even though he was just a young boy when the Germans occupied his village.  Instead of allowing the German soldiers to steal his donkey, he negotiated with them that he would accompany the soldiers and walk the donkey to Agrinio and back home- a 51-mile one way trip and an elevation of 2200 feet.

With this tenacity, Mr. Katsoudas left Klapsion at the age of 15 and attended mechanical school in Piraeus, Greece.  He worked as a mechanic for the Greek Army and later moved to New York to work on aircraft for TWA.  He returned to Greece in 1962 and met the love of his life, Stavroula Fani Theofanidis of Plaka, Athens, Greece.  They wed on February 26, 1963, and the City of Athens marching band playing as they left St. Eirene in the Acropoli district.   The happy couple moved to Fayetteville, NC and later to Sanford, NC and had three beautiful daughters, Fotoula (Frances), Lele (Helen), and Demetra (Mickey).  Mr. and Mrs. Katsoudas always said they were the diamonds of their lives.

Mr. Katsoudas managed and operated a restaurant in Sanford, NC.  It was the only restaurant in town and served all classes of people.  He quickly became a central part of his local community.  Mr. Katsoudas was an active member of the Lions Club and was a Mason and Shriner (level 32).  He never forgot his Greek roots and was a member of the Order of AHEPA, as was his father, and a member of the Evrytanian Association.  In Sanford and the surrounding area, Mr. Katsoudas quickly became famous in town for his home-made pies and made-from-scratch recipes.  During this time, Mr. Katsoudas sponsored many members of his family to come to America from Greece to work in the 24-hour restaurant.  He was so wise with his economics that a traveling reporter wrote an article about Mr. Katsoudas and his business for the New York Times.

After many years in Sanford, Mr. and Mrs. Katsoudas opened the restaurant, Pegasus.  It was the first restaurant in town to serve a variety of epicurean foods all made from scratch.  It was an immediate success.  Unfortunately, the restaurant burned to the ground due to arson, but this did not stop Mr. and Mrs. Katsoudas.  They re-built the restaurant and renamed it Gus’s Café and gave their daughter, Fotoula, the wedding of her dreams – all in the same year.

After retiring Mr. and Mrs. Katsoudas spent a year in Greece and then moved to Rock Hill, SC.  Mr. Katsoudas loved people and loved helping others.  Since his restaurant was open 7 days a week, he never was able to attend church but a few times a year.  As a good steward, he would make his famous sweet bread and donate it to all the nearby Greek Festivals.  Plus, he made sure his family attended St. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Fayetteville, a one-hour drive away, every Sunday.  When he retired, he loved cooking for the Yiasou Greek Festival in Charlotte, NC.  He would prepare meals for all the workers when they were preparing pastries for the festival and was famous for his pastitsio which became a beloved recipe of the festival.  Mr. Katsoudas would work so hard for the festival that he was offered his own parking space, but in his true humility did not want to draw attention to himself and said, “I arrive so early I have no problem finding a parking space.”  Mr. Katsoudas would prepare the dinner after funerals for many of his fellow parish families.  He always refused to take money.  His only request was that they would pray for him and attend his funeral one day.   Mr. Katsoudas was a humble servant to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral.  For all his work he received the parish Archangel Michael award from the Metropolis of Atlanta in 2013. 

Mr. Katsoudas is survived by his wife, Stavroula Fani, of 58 years; his daughters, Frances Katsoudas of Rock Hill, SC, Lele Skenteris and her husband, Tommy of Rock Hill, SC and Demetra Boardman and her husband, Frank of Charlotte, NC; five grandchildren, George Skenteris of Wingate, NC, Ephrosyne (Frances) Skenteris of Rock Hill, SC, Floriana Boardman of Charleston, SC, Constantinos Boardman-Katsoudas and Stavros Boardman of Charlotte, NC.  Mr. Katsoudas is also survived by many nieces and nephews and all of those that remember his big smile that welcomed them into his kitchen either at his restaurants, his home, or Holy Trinity.  He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings; George Katsoudas, Maria Hatzopoulos, and Olga Frangakis Yiataganas; his niece, Paula Katsoudas Koutroulakis, and nephews Demetrios Hatzopoulos and Andy Frangakis.

Visitation will be from 5:00-6:00 PM on Sunday, January 23, 2022 followed by a Trisagion service at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Charlotte.  Funeral services for Mr. Katsoudas will be 11:00 AM on Monday, January 24, 2022 with Fr. Vasileios Tsourlis officiating.  Interment will follow at Evergreen Cemetery.  The family will receive friends one hour prior to the funeral service at the church.  The service will be livestreamed at: https://vimeo.com/event/165729/457c79a80e for those unable to attend in person.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be offered in memory of Mr. Katsoudas to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Attn: Agia Elpis Philoptochos Society or Main Altar Fund, 600 East Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28203.

May His Memory Be Eternal.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204; (704) 641-7606. Online condolences may be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.