Emmanouil (Manoli) Chouzouris, 91 passed away peacefully on Friday, March 4th, 2022.
He was born on the island of Chios in Greece and immigrated to Canada in 1961, where he worked at a variety of restaurants and honed his skills to become a self-taught and highly respected chef. He retired from the renowned Acropolis Restaurant in 1996 where he worked for many years with fellow ‘islanders’ to create a successful Greek dining experience. He was so proud to introduce Winnipeggers to his food and culture.
Manoli married a true beauty from the village named Irene Fasoulakis in 1964. The two of them began their lives together in Winnipeg and made many deep connections with the Greek Orthodox Church community in Winnipeg. They were two of the original Folkorama dancers, they volunteered making moussaka to feed thousands, sang in the Church choir and were devoted to their Orthodox faith and their community. Together, like so many others, they built a life and prospered. They had two children, Jim (Liz) and Frances (Reid) and were blessed with wonderful inlaws as their children married and started families of their own. They celebrated the births of five grandchildren, Irene, Victoria, Emmanuella, Emmanuel and Sofia who will dearly miss their ‘Pappou’.
Manoli was the third sibling born to the late Demetrios and Frangoula Chouzouris. Brother Nicolas and sister Afrodite predeceased him and Manoli remained connected to his nieces, nephews and their families. The homestead on the island was regularly visited by Manoli and Irene and the house was filled with family and friends. There was always food, music, dancing and the occasional libation.
Manoli was born into a family of farmers and brought that passion for the land with him to Canada. He took pride in the garden he created yearly in the backyard of their home on Ash Street. He planted his tomatoes from seedlings in the spring and kept a close eye on them with the nurturing only he could bring. His greenhouse was filled with vegetables that would feed his family and neighbors. “Always with the first red tomato” he would boast. He loved sharing his knowledge and skills with anyone who would take an interest.
The passion he felt for his garden was only rivaled by the love he had for his wife, Irene. A devoted husband and family man, he would say “love is understanding that when her finger is cut, I am bleeding”. In turn, Irene’s life revolved around his needs. That was always the dance of their 58-year marriage. As his health deteriorated and his needs became too difficult to manage, she was no longer able to provide the 24-hour attention he needed and reluctantly agreed to have him live in a care home. She visited him every day with the homemade soup and baking he loved. She made sure he was always clean and shaven which he was always meticulous about. He would wait for her arrival and recognize the tap of her heels in the distance. He would immediately breathe easier and be at peace when she was by his side. He remained utterly devoted to her until the very end.
We would sincerely like to thank all his caregivers over the years, particularly the staff at Meadowood Manor. Thanks to all the family and friends for their love and support through the decades and particularly in recent times. Manoli’s memory will be eternal.
The funeral service will be held on Thursday, March 10, 2022 at 11:00 a.m at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2255 Grant Ave. Interment at Waverley Memorial Gardens, luncheon to follow at the church
