Andreas' Obituary
Andreas Nickolas Geranios fell asleep in the Lord in his home on January 17, 2024, surrounded by his loved ones, and holding the hand of his loving wife of 63 years, Aspasia Geranios.
Andreas was born to a family of sheepherders on October 16, 1930, in Dafni, Kalavryta, Greece. As a child, he survived the Axis invasion of his village in WWII and the famine that followed during Greece’s civil war. At 20, Andreas began his mandatory military service where he served gallantly in the calvary. Following his military service, Andreas moved to Athens where he opened a grocery store with his brother, Theodore. Little did he know, this is where his love story would begin. One fateful day, Aspasia wandered into his shop looking for soap, and she left with a life-long companion. Andreas and Aspasia were married in 1961 and welcomed their two beautiful daughters Athanasia in 1963 and Elli in 1965. During this time, Greece had fallen into political and economic unrest motivating Andreas and Aspasia to make the brave decision to pick-up their lives and pursue greater opportunity for their family in America.
Ahead of their move, Andreas’s uncle, George, had traveled to Great Falls, Montana to work on the railroads. Once he was settled, George invited his nephew and other members of his family to join him. Upon arriving in Great Falls, Andreas went to work building several successful businesses to provide for his growing family. He and his brothers bought and managed Hussman’s Pool Hall before opening the Acropol Restaurant where they served authentic Greek dishes to their new Montana community. Andreas later purchased the Pennsylvania Apartments where he began to build a home for his family. It was here that Andreas and Aspasia welcomed three more children, Nicholas in 1968, George in 1971, and their youngest, Olga in 1976. Andreas later purchased Little Athens, the very popular gyro shop, where he built his local celebrity as the gyro hero. He was a tireless worker and put his family above all else.
Andreas’s indelible work ethic drove him to continue to run Little Athens until the age of 86, at which point he retired from daily management. However, he would still stop in to do his favorite parts including making his famous sauce and entertaining customers. Andreas was a man of many passions and hobbies spending a large part of his days tending his garden, hanging Christmas lights wherever he could, and enjoying the Montana summers. He cared for the many neighborhood animals including a sick hawk, songbirds, cats, and a very well-fed squirrel. He enjoyed serenading his wife of 63 years with Greek love songs, teasing her through lighthearted pranks, and playfully referred to her as his girlfriend. This mischievous twinkle in his eyes lasted until his final days. He loved nothing more than spending time with his beloved family; his 13 grandchildren; and 1 great-grandchild. He was a larger-than-life presence who is irreplaceable to his big loving Greek family. Andreas was a beautiful example of a life well-lived, his spirit leaving a legacy of philotimo, kindness, hard-work, honesty, strength, humor, and love. A devout man, Andreas was a pillar of the Greek Orthodox Community. He impacted countless individuals with a presence that inspired and wisdom from his long, blessed life.
His heart was so big, the love spilled over and filled the hearts of many. He will be missed and remembered for the ages. May his memory be eternal.
He is survived by his wife, Aspasia Geranios; daughters, Athanasia (Kenneth) Kendl of Morrison, CO, Elli (Brent) Anderson of Golden CO, and Olga (Derek) Jay of Littleton, CO; sons, Nicholas (Linda) Andreas Geranios of Great Falls and George Andreas Geranios, MD of Springfield, IL; grandchildren, Erika Aspasia, Alexander (Regina), Aundrea, Andreas Nickolas (Jordan), Robert, Ariana (Stefan), Aspacelia, Charles, Julia, Andreas Gabriel, Sophia, Nickolas, and Lydia; great-grandchild, Grayson; and brother, Argios Geranios of Pittsfield, MA.
The Trisagion will be held at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel on Monday, January 22, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. The funeral service will be held at Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. with burial at Highland Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church.
