Dimitrios “Jimmy” W. Vlachos, age 89, died after a short illness on Sunday, August 4, 2019. He was born September 15, 1929, in Newburgh, NY, to Basil and Adrianna Vlachos.
At the age of 2, Jimmy returned to Limnos, Greece, the home of his parents, and spent his childhood there. Jimmy returned to Newburgh in July 1947 at the age of 17. Jimmy proudly went to night school at Newburgh Free Academy to learn English.
In 1958, he married Dimitra Foundas, with whom he celebrated 60 years of marriage on October 11, 2018.
Jimmy initially worked in the diner business, first as a busboy then as a short order cook, but, drawing on his love of the outdoors, he became a carpenter and eventually a contractor, building many homes in Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Marlboro, and the surrounding areas. Eventually, Jimmy returned to his love of cooking and opened Jimmy’s Restaurant on Broadway in Newburgh in 1977. Jimmy and Dimitra cooked and ran what became a popular breakfast gathering place for 36 years until his retirement in 2012, at the age of 82.
He is survived by his wife, Dimitra (Foundas) Vlachos of Newburgh, NY; daughter, Adrianna Vlachos and son-in-law Greg Schatz of Suffern, NY; son, Basil Vlachos, of Newburgh, NY; beloved grandsons James Vlachos, Dimitri Schatz, Michael Schatz, and Brandon Ostrowski; sisters, Sophia Tsiokos of Newbugh, NY, Despina Scholidis of Athens, Greece and Elli Papamanolis of Limnos, Greece; brother-in-law Peter Foundas and wife Angeliki; along with numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins in the US and Greece as well as many friends.
The funeral will be held at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 19 Fullerton Avenue, Newburgh, NY at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 7. Burial will follow in Woodlawn Cemetery, New Windsor.
If desired, friends and family may make memorial contributions to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 19 Fullerton Avenue (P.O. Box 2004), Newburgh, NY 12550.