Teddy Niotis

October 1, 1968 — May 2, 2013

Teddy Niotis Profile Photo

Outgoing and kindhearted, Teddy Niotis was a man who always looked for, and found, the good in others. He loved socializing, and made friends everywhere he went. A good listener, Teddy liked to help people in need, and always had time for his friends and family. Teddys infectious smile, cheerful personality, and heartfelt concern for others touched many hearts over the years; he was deeply loved, and will be sorely missed. The year 1968 was a time of technological advancement as well as social unrest, a year that saw the first successful heart transplant and the moon orbiting of Apollo 8, but also the tragic assassination of Martin Luther King. It was a time when gas cost 34 cents per gallon, a new house went for $15,000, and minimum wage was $1.60 per hour. Teddy Niotis was born in the midst of this eventful year, on October 1, 1968, to proud parents Dimitrios Jim and Vlasia (Frangos) Niotis. Originally from Greece, Jim and Vlasia had already immigrated to the United States and made their home in northwest Chicago by the time their son was born. Jim was in the restaurant business, operating several fast food places in the Chicago area, while Vlasia had her own hairdressing salon. Teddy was their first-born child, but soon had a younger brother, Peter, to keep him company. The Niotis family was a close-knit, hardworking bunch, and made many trips back to Greece to visit family in Vlasias hometown of Ksilokastro. Along with regular elementary school Teddy's parents enrolled him in Greek school (he could speak the language fluently). In his free time, Teddy loved to work on BMX bicycles. He customized the bikes by adding chrome, or even built bikes completely from scratch. He and his neighborhood friends spent many happy hours tinkering in the garage in the alley. Later, Teddy went on to Luther North High School for a few years, and graduated from Steinmetz High School in 1986. After school let out in the afternoon, Teddy often helped out at his dads restaurants, including Jimmys Hot Dogs. Once Teddy started driving, he switched from working on BMX bikes to modifying cars. Working as a mechanic was a perfect fit, and after high school Teddy and a friend started their own High Performance Car Mod-Shop. Just like in the old days, his friends would still stop by the garage to talk shop and work on their cars. More than just a job, working on high performance cars was a lifelong passion for Teddy. In his free time, he would buy old cars and fix them up, adding chrome and modifying the engines. He was a regular at local car shows, where he could show off his work to an appreciative audience. In 1992, Teddy and his family left Chicago for Grand Haven, Michigan, where they had purchased the old Corn Crib restaurant. They remodeled the restaurant, located downtown, and turned it into Mr. Kozaks Gyros. Sadly, Teddys father passed away in 1995, and the running of the restaurant was left to Vlasia and her two sons. Teddy stepped up to fill his fathers shoes, and eventually became an owner of Mr. Kozaks Gyros. The business was very successful, and in recent years they opened another branch in Holland, Michigan. During the summers, Teddy also operated the Snack Shack at the Grand Haven beach. During his early years in Grand Haven, Teddy met a young lady named Linda Schmidt. Teddy and Linda started dating and fell in love, and were married on April 20, 1996. After a honeymoon in Greece, the happy couple settled down to live to Grand Haven. Unfortunately, Teddy was afflicted with diabetes for many years, and lost a leg to the disease in the mid-2000s. Although he received a prosthetic leg, he wasnt able to be as active as he liked. His marriage to Linda ended, and he moved back home with his mother and brother. Even though Teddy struggled with worsening health issues, he continued to help run the restaurants and came in to work on a regular basis. Likeable, friendly, and kind hearted, Teddy was a hard worker, a loving son and brother, and a loyal friend. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by his many friends and family members. Mr. Teddy Niotis died unexpectedly on May 2, 2013, at the age of 44. Teddys family includes his mother, Vlasia Niotis; his brother, Peter (Stephanie) Niotis of Grand Haven; and his nieces, Dimitra Niotis and Vlasia Niotis. He was preceded in death by his father in 1995. Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 7, at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. Interment will be at Lakeshore Cemetery. Friends may join the family for visitation from 4 to 8 p.m. on Monday at the Clock Funeral Home-Grand Haven, with a Trisagion Service at 7:30 p.m. For those who wish, memorials may be directed to Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. Please visit Teddys personal memory page at www.clockfuneralhome.com, where you can learn more about his life, share a favorite memory or photo, and sign the online guestbook.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Teddy Niotis, please visit our flower store.

Photo Gallery

Guestbook

Visits: 2

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors