CHESAPEAKE, VA. (WAVY) — Generations in Chesapeake and Elizabeth City are mourning the loss of the man known as Mr. Steve of Chesapeake Pizza and Van’s Pizza House in Elizabeth City.
Stavros Giannakopoulos, 83, died peacefully Saturday after spending his last Thanksgiving with family and friends. The story of the man who was loved by many starts in the in the Alfeios River valley near ancient Olympia in Greece.
Three years after Giannakopoulos married the love of his life, Glykeria, the couple moved to a place called Chesapeake. They spoke little English, but they knew the word pizza and they learned how to make the popular dish.
“They came down to Chesapeake with my uncle to start this business, ” said eldest son Spiros Giannakopoulos…