Tom Arsenios Priakos
February 18, 1917 - May 20, 2002
Tom A. Priakos, 85, of Pine Bluff, died Monday, May 20, 2002, at Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff. Born February 18, 1917, in Almyros, Greece, to the late Father Aristides Priakos and Fotine Vasiliades Priakos, he came to the United States with his family at age 4. He moved with them to Little Rock a few years later when his father became the priest for the Greek Orthodox congregation there. His father died in 1924 and the family moved to Pine Bluff to live with his mother's relatives, the Gus Pappas family. They lived with the Pappas family until after Mr. Priakos returned from his naval service.
He was reared and educated in Pine Bluff, graduating from Pine Bluff High School. He became a United States citizen in 1935. As a young man, he worked in several fields before joining the United States Navy. He served in Panama and then as quartermaster 1st Class on the USS Lauderdale during World War II. After the war, he returned to Pine Bluff and entered the restaurant business here. He operated and managed Pine Bluff restaurants for 53 years, The Rendezvous at 1400 Main Street and Tommy's Drive-In at 812 Poplar Street.
Mr. Priakos married Juanita "Nita" Fokakis on September 25, 1949, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Mrs. Priakos died February 4, 1996. He was also preceded in death by a brother, Maestro Vasilios Priakos.
He was a member of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Little Rock.
Survivors include a son, Tommy A. Priakos, Jr. of Pine Bluff; a daughter, Kathryn "Katie" Priakos Harrison of Houston, Texas; and three grandchildren, Ted, Thomas, and Nia Harrison of Houston.