- Date Of Birth: September 26, 1926
- Date Of Death: November 5, 2018
- State: Colorado
Pete Maniatis, 92, went to be with his Lord on November 5th 2018.
Pete was born on September 26th, 1926 in Pikerni, Greece. He was the oldest of 7children and spent his childhood helping his father herd goats in the Greek countryside. Pete was in Greece during the Nazi occupation in WWII; not only did he survive the war by hiding with his family in the mountains as the Nazi’s invaded his village, but he also endured through the Greek Civil War that erupted in Greece shortly after WWII ended.
He found his way to the United States in 1951. One of Pete’s first jobs in the U.S. was working in a restaurant called Bit o’ Scotland. He then met the love of his life, Tula Manelis, in Cheyenne, Wyoming and the two wed in 1954. They were happily married for 62 years before Tula’s passing on August 20th, 2016.
Once Pete had established his life in America, he brought his parents, sisters, and brothers over and helped each one of them integrate themselves into their new home. Only one of his brother’s remained in Greece.
It was with his brothers that he ran his first restaurant called Greens, which was located on Wazee Street in Denver, Colorado. It was later remolded and called Old No 7. Pete also co-owned the Old Lighthouse in Glendale, Colorado. Pete was one of the friendliest chefs in Denver; he was famous for his hospitality, chicken, and rice pudding. It’s safe to say Pete’s calling was always in the kitchen. He was at his happiest when he was with other chefs; from roasting potatoes to making Greek yogurt from scratch, he loved bringing friends and family together through his love of food. Pete was never satisfied until everyone’s bellies were full and even then, he was still offering seconds.
After dabbling in the restaurant business, he was a chef at the Cherry Hills Country Club.
