Obituary of Anthony James Demas

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Antonis (Tony) Theodorakaki (Demas). Although our hearts are broken, we can’t help but celebrate the life of a rambunctious man who was full of love and joy and how lucky we all were to have had him for nearly 94 years. He was the youngest old man you ever met, and he loved asking, “How old do you think I am?!”

Born on December 31, 1932, fifteen minutes before midnight in Arahova, Greece, Tony often joked, “Instead of her breast, my mother shoved a bottle of wine in my mouth.” Known for his lifelong love of good wine, Tony would say that if it wasn't up to his standards, he wouldn't wash his feet with it.

Tony was the son of Kalliope Karavos and Dimitri Theodorakaki. The teenage couple had eloped together since Kalliope was arranged to marry someone else. The first of five children, brother to Maria (late Jim) Milles, late Jeanette (late George) Saldaris, late Helen (late Gus) Aggelopoulos, and late Theodore (Sheila) Theodorakakis. He was close with his grandmother Marigo, who treated him like gold and helped raise him. In love with his village from the start, Tony got into all sorts of trouble as a boy, climbing trees, shooting guns (sometimes by accident), and hitching rides on the back of trucks coming in and out of the village.

When Tony was 11, his father, Dimitri, was mysteriously killed while shepherding goats in Skala, Greece, something that Tony would spend his life trying to solve. Tony and his family endured many hardships during World War II and the occupation of his village, first by the Italians. The day after his father was killed in 1943, the Germans raided the village, forcing everyone from their homes before setting fire to the buildings. Tony ran into the house, gathering the few possessions they had, running into the field to be caught by a German officer who pointed a gun in his face but then spared his life. Thankfully, through an intervention by the American Red Cross, the village survived, but the devastation remained.

One day in 1950, a family friend came to visit Arahova and saw the poor conditions Tony and his family were in. That friend returned to Canada, and on the spot, Gus and Panagiota Mandas arranged to sponsor Tony to come to London, Ontario.

Feeling fate’s lucky hand, Tony was issued a passport in Sparti, which he proudly declared had the number 001 on it. On February 13, 1951, at the age of 17, he boarded the Nea Hellas, the historic passenger ship from Piraeus to Halifax, for a cold eighteen-day journey. After an even colder three-day train ride, he arrived in London, Ontario, where the warmth of the people immediately stood out to him. The loving Mandas family took him in as their son, refusing to let him work for the first three months, insisting that he needed to be fattened up. At the same time, other Greeks were arriving in Canada and were put straight to work washing dishes. The Mandas family wouldn’t allow it, and Tony was always moved by their kindness and generosity, which he strived to show others for the rest of his life.

Eventually, Tony worked several jobs in order to bring his family to Canada, including at historic and long-gone downtown London establishments: the Olympia Restaurant, Kresge's Cafeteria, the Rose Bowl, and Leon’s Shoes. He later moved to Toronto, taking jobs at the Uptown Lunch (Bloor and Yonge Street), working the night shift there from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and  a job at the Park Plaza Hotel at the soda fountain. His time in Toronto was full of colourful stories, and he even got to ride on Canada's first subway ride, which took place on March 30, 1954, from Eglinton to Union Station.

Ultimately, Toronto wasn’t for him, and he moved back to London to work at Arles Shoes, Roland Hill Shoes, and the Four Hundred Hotel. For the next 10 years, Tony worked at Cook’s Shoes, but his “expensive taste in clothes and booze” would eventually get him into real estate.

In 1970, he bought the building that formerly housed Wong’s Cafe at 434 Richmond Street. Tony met Irene Szabo and offered her a job as a typist. Irene accepted despite not knowing how to type, something Tony had already figured out and, he opened the Villa Jazz Club. When the chef he hired turned out less than reliable, and Irene ended up taking over the kitchen, learning the craft that would propel her to become an accomplished and well-known chef in Ontario for the decades to come.

Running a jazz club with your soulmate in the 70s was nothing short of a great party. Surrounded by live music, good people, and a wine cellar which was considered to be Ontario’s biggest, Tony never could have imagined a life so good. Those lucky enough to have visited the Villa would indeed have many great memories of their own. Even decades later, strangers would approach Tony to tell him what the Villa meant to them, including many musicians who said that he was the most generous boss they ever had. He was the life of the party and always wanted to share his luck with everyone around him.

In 1981, their son Anthony was born, and the night of the birth, Tony covered the floor with plates and glasses at the Villa in celebration. In 1987, Stephanie was born, and the family eventually relocated to a Victorian yellow-brick house on a hill in Elginfield, Ontario. The house was in a state of disrepair, but Tony saw its potential. He lovingly restored it to its splendour, filling it with stained glass, artwork, architectural treasures, and unique antiques, including doors salvaged from Frederick Banting's home. Tony had exquisite taste and took great pride in surrounding himself with it.

In the late '90s, Irene and Tony opened Stephie’s Restaurant in Lucan, Ontario, followed by the Wilberforce Inn and the Stuffed Zucchini. Tony still loved his village and would return every summer to enjoy his platea and playing cards with his friends from Greece, the US, Canada, and Australia. Being able to return to Greece every summer brought him great joy, and Irene worked hard to make that happen every year for thirty years straight. After retirement, his village was all he could think about, and together with Stephie, they began fixing up the house his father originally intended to be a store.

Tony had many good friends in his lifetime whom he cherished: the Poulokefalou family, the Ardamis and Vastis family, the DiLoreto family, the Smalls, the Melehes-Chatzistefanous, the Vlachos, and many, many others. He loved his granddaughters Penelope and Phoebe and he warmly welcomed his children's partners, Jocelyn and Odysseas, into the family. When Tony was diagnosed with cancer, all he could say was that he had an excellent life and was truly satisfied. His last wish was to return to his village, and in April 2026, Irene surprised him with the trip. He was overjoyed to be able to celebrate Easter with his friends and say goodbye. It was a true gift for his final days with us. On May 28, 2026, with Irene by his side, he peacefully entered the next life.

A 40-day memorial will be held at the Άγιος Ανδρέας Church in Karyes on Sunday, July 5, 2026, after Mass.

Condolences can be left a www.funeraloptions.ca