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QUEENS WEEKLY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2019
Queens mourns beloved restaurateur Jimmy Kaloidis
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Community leader, philanthropist
and entrepreneur
Dimitrios “Jimmy”
Elias Kaloidis died on
the morning of Sept. 16 in
Greece. He was 85.
In 1955, Kaloidis emigrated
to the United States
from Petrina, Greece, a village
in the Laconia region
of the country. At the age
of 21, Kaloidis set out to
begin his decades-long career
in the hospitality and
restaurant business.
He married fellow Laconian
Georgia Christou
Manolakis in 1974. Together,
the pair founded several
successful restaurants and
diners throughout New
York including the Georgia
Diner in Elmhurst.
In 1997, the New York
City Parks Department
awarded Kaloidis and his
business partner George
Makkos a long-term concession
to operate Terrace
on the Park in Flushing
Meadows Corona Park.
Over the next 20 years, the
pair established Terrace’s
reputation as a prominent
event and hospitality venue
in the tri-state region.
“We’re all heartbroken
because we lost a great
friend and leader of the local
community and Greek
community. He was a very
philanthropic person who
donated to charities, hospitals
and any organization
that touched his heart,”
said Makkos.
In addition to being an
entrepreneur, Kaloidis was
an avid philanthropist and
humanitarian. Throughout
their lives, he and his wife
supported various Hellenic
causes and many religious,
educational and cultural
institutions in the United
States and Greece.
Through a significant
financial donation, the couple
paid off the mortgage of
the Holy Cross Parochial
School, now known as The
Dimitrios and Georgia Kaloidis
Parochial School.
“While distance has
kept them apart from
us, they have always held
the school close to their
hearts as we have held
them close to ours,” read
an official statement on the
school’s website.
Other institutions to
which Kaloidis donated
include the Greek Orthodox
Church of America,
the Laconian Society, New
York-Presbyterian Queens
where the couple helped
to establish a cardiac diagnostic
unit at the hospital’s
Kyrenia Heart Center
and Cosmos FM, a Hellenic
public radio station.
“I’ve known Jimmy
since he took over Terrace
on the Park. This was a man
whose heart was as big as
he was. He shared a great
deal with all of us, both
with his heart and with
his dollars, supporting a
multitude of wonderful organizations
both large and
small. His memory will live
on forever in all of his good
works and kindness he
showed so many of us. I am
grateful that I got to know
him. I will miss his name
day, one of the cherished,
yearly events held to celebrate
with the community.
He may be buried in Greece
but he will always be a part
of us here in Queens,” said
Victoria Schneps, the president
of Schneps Media.
In 1994, the American
Order of St. Andrew the
Apostle honored Kaloidis
as “offikion” or Archon of
the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
He also served as a
member of the Archdiocesan
Council of the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of
America and on the board
of trustees of the Hellenic
Cultural Center.
In 2002 and 2003, the Kaloidises
received the Ellis
Island Medal of Honor by
former Brooklyn Borough
President Howard Golden
and former City Council
Speaker Paul Vallone Sr.
“Jimmy was one of the
kindest individuals I’ve
ever met. He came to this
country as a poor immigrant,
worked hard and
became a successful businessman
and philanthropist.
Together, with his
wife Georgia, he was the
generous benefactor of the
DGK Parochial school at
Holy Cross Greek Orthodox
Church in Bay Ridge. In
Greek, the word “philanthropy”
means kindliness,
humanity, benevolence
and love to mankind. Jimmy
Kaloidis exemplified
all these things. He was
a special individual and
will be greatly missed,”
said Assemblywoman
Nicole Malliotakis.
He will be buried in
Mystras, Sparta on Sept.
19 at Mystras Grand Palace
Resort & Spa. Kaloidis is
survived by his wife Georgia,
who requested donations
be made to the DGK
Parochial School at 8502
Ridge Blvd. in Brooklyn.
Jimmy Kaloidis with his wife Photo courtesy of The Kaloidis family