Nickopoulos

Demetrios (Jim) and Eleni Nickopoulos (née Panagiotopoulos) were hard-working immigrants who made many sacrifices to ensure that their children and grandchildren had a better quality of life.

Jim was born in 1936 in the village of Fanaiti in Arcadia, Greece. He spent his childhood and teenage years in the village where he worked on the farm. Being the eldest of four children, Jim became the head of his household at the age of 17 when his father passed away. He immigrated to Canada on November 26, 1955 at the young age of 19 via the Olympia with only a few cents in his pocket. After arriving at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, his ultimate destination was Ottawa, Ontario. Jim was eventually able to bring his mother and siblings over to Canada.

Eleni was born in 1935 in the village of Paradeisia in Arcadia, Greece. She spent part of her childhood in the village and before the age of 10, she moved to Athens, Greece to work as a maid for a wealthy family in order to support her parents and four siblings. Eleni marvelled over the family’s riches hoping that she too would be prosperous one day. She immigrated to Canada on November 2, 1958 at the young age of 23 via the Queen Frederica. She reluctantly left behind her parents and two of her sisters, while her other two siblings eventually immigrated to Canada. After arriving at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, her ultimate destination was Ottawa, Ontario.

Ironically, the villages that Jim and Eleni grew up in were only about 1 km apart and while their families knew each other, Jim and Eleni had never crossed paths in Greece. Prior to immigrating to Canada, someone showed Eleni a picture of the handsome Jim, who was already in Canada at the time, and she said that she would find and marry him. They met in Ottawa, Ontario, fell in love, got married in 1962, and raised two beautiful children together. Both Jim and Eleni worked long hours in the food and hotel industries to ensure that their children received an education. While living in Canada, they embraced Canadian culture and upheld their Greek heritage, which they were so incredibly proud of.

Jim was a highly respected member of the Hellenic Community of Ottawa through his involvement with the Ottawa Greek Festival as a volunteer and served as Treasurer of the Arcadian Association of Ottawa for several years. He had a passion for reading and gardening and was a jack of all trades. He wrote many Greek poems about his heritage that were published in the BHMA-Greek Canadian Tribune.

Eleni was a very kind, loyal, generous, and proud woman, who touched the lives of many. She had a sense of humour and was known for her hospitality and passion for cooking and sewing. Eleni enjoyed socializing with her friends over coffee for many hours. She was the matriarch of her family and brought everyone together around the kitchen table.

Eleni passed away in 2019 at the age of 84.

Jim passed away in 2022 at the age of 86.

Their legacy lives on through their loving children, Anastasia and Leonidas, and their beautiful grandchildren, Jordan, Jason, Niki, Eleni, and Leonidas.

May their memory be eternal.