Obituary of Peter Gettas

Gettas, Peter Peacefully at Hospice Wellington, Guelph, on Thursday, April 18, 2013 at the age of 81 years. Dear brother of John Gettas (Gkitzias); his wife Alexandra and their son Peter of Psili Vrisi, Greece and their daughter Kiki Bartsocas of Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Cherished cousin and friend of Peter Mitges; his wife Joan and their son Jamie of Guelph; Chris and Jimmy Buzanis of London, ON and Nula Arvanitis and their families of Stratford, ON. Peter was born in the village of Psili Vrisi, Arkadia, Peloponnisos, Greece on May 23, 1931. His father, Panagiotis Gkitzias (Peter Gettas) passed away from pneumonia on March 25, 1931, two months before Peter's birth. Peter had a hard childhood through WWII when the Germans occupied Greece, and through the Greek civil war, (1946 -1949). His brother and his sister Reena (d. 2005) worked hard in the fields for many years with their mother to provide for the family. Many sacrifices were made by the family for him to finish high school and finally to emigrate to Canada at the age of 20. He was sponsored by his father's brothers Jimmy and Gus Gettas and arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1951. He made his way to see his uncles Jimmy Gettas, George Mitges and Theodore Buzanis at the Treanon Restaurant in Guelph. Throughout the years Peter worked hard at the restaurant as a night manager and later as a manager at Kentucky Fried Chicken, before retiring in 1996. In 1959, Peter sponsored his brother John to emigrate to Canada and in 1962 when John's family and Peter's mother Vasiliki arrived from Greece, Peter, John and his uncle Jimmy purchased a large house on Northumberland Street where the family lived and enjoyed a normal Canadian family life, with a huge vegetable garden in the back which they all tended. He taught his nieces Kiki and Maria (d. 1995) how to drive and enjoy Western movies and his nephew Peter how to play ball and ride his bike. During the summers Peter would take the family to Wasaga Beach to cool off and to Toronto to see the Exposition. The family fondly remembers a trip to Niagara Falls in 1976. In 1978, his brother John; his family; uncle Jimmy and Peter’s mother returned to Greece. Peter was encouraged to return with them however he did not want to give up the solitude he found in his home and garden. In his later years, Peter enjoyed a simple and solitary life of work at the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. After he retired, he loved to work in his garden behind his house and grew sweet peas, tomatoes and other vegetables which he would cook and enjoy with a few pieces of Kentucky Fried Chicken. The Gettas (Gkitzias) family wishes to express their deepest thanks and appreciation to Peter,Joan and Jamie Mitges for their overseeing of Peter's health and affairs over the past few years after he became ill. The families will receive friends and relatives at the GILCHRIST CHAPEL – McIntyre & Wilkie Funeral Home, One Delhi Street, Guelph, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.on Saturday, April 20, 2013. Funeral service to follow at the Gilchrist Chapel at 1:00 p.m. Interment Woodlawn Memorial Park with a reception following in the Trillium Room of the funeral home. As expressions of sympathy, donations may be made to Hospice Wellington in Peter’s memory. We invite you to leave your memories and donations on line. Service Information Service Date Saturday, April 20, 2013 Service Time 1:00 p.m. Service Location Gilchrist Chapel McIntryre & Wilkie Funeral Home Visitation Saturday, Apr. 20, 2013 Visitation Time 12:00- 1:00 p.m. Visitation Location Gilchrist Chapel, McIntyre & Wilkie Funeral Home Burial Date Saturday, April 20, 2013 Burial Location Woodlawn Memorial Park Requested Charity Hospice Wellington