Demetre Asimakopoulos

Demetre Asimakopoulos was born on October 22, 1955, in Xrisoxori, Gortinia, Greece, to his beloved parents, Kostantinos and Sofia Asimakopoulos. He was raised alongside his sisters, Soula and Kanela, surrounded by the warmth of family, village life, and the traditions he would carry proudly throughout his life.

In 1972, just before Christmas, Demetre made the courageous decision to leave Greece and begin a new chapter in Toronto, Ontario, where he was welcomed by Gianni Bournas. Canada quickly became the place he would call home. Four years later, in 1976, his sister Soula joined him, continuing the close family bond they cherished throughout their lives.

During his early years in Canada, Demetre worked tirelessly in many different jobs, always determined to build a better future. In 1978, he met the love of his life, Fotini Panourgias, after being introduced by close relatives. Their connection was immediate, and they were married on August 19, 1979, beginning a beautiful life together built on love, loyalty, and family.

Together, Demetre and Fotini welcomed four children into the world: Sofia, Kostas, Angela, and later, after moving to Brampton in 1989, their “surprise baby,” Niko, who completed the family in 1990. Their home and life was always filled with the presence of aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, laughter, and countless cherished memories.

Demetre was the true definition of a hardworking man. He spent many long nights working tirelessly to provide for his family and ensure they never went without. He worked alongside family at Beckers for many years before moving into the restaurant business through various Mr. Sub locations. In 1996, he and Fotini proudly opened a location of their own, building a business together through dedication and sacrifice. After relocating to Woodbridge in 2000, they continued their journey side by side by opening and operating their family restaurant, Helen’s Fish and Chips.

Above all else, Demetre was known for his gentle heart, kind soul, and deep love for his family. He treasured gatherings, celebrations, and simply being surrounded by the people he loved most. He shared many special milestones with his children, including the marriages of Kostas and Alexia, and Angela and Theo, along with countless birthdays, Christmases, Easters, road trips to Michigan and Chicago and many other moments that became lifelong memories.

He found joy in life’s simple pleasures: listening to Greek music, watching his favourite Greek television shows, tending to his beautiful garden, and returning each fall to his beloved village in Greece to harvest olives and produce olive oil from the family grove. No matter where life brought him, Greece always remained close to his heart.

In 2012, Demetre endured the heartbreaking loss of his beloved wife, Fotini — a loss that profoundly saddened him. In the years that followed, he faced many health challenges with remarkable strength, resilience, and grace. Despite his struggles, he continued to show up for his children and loved ones with positivity, humour, and love. He was known for his playful pranks, his jokes, and his ability to make others smile, even during difficult times.

Demetre passed away peacefully in the early hours of Monday, May 25, surrounded by the love of family and friends in his final days. He is now reunited with his beloved Fotini and all those who passed before him.

His children will forever hold close the memories they shared with their father.

Sofia remembers that as kids we always had little adventures with Mama and Baba. Dad was always wanting to bring smiles to our faces and make us laugh. My sweetest memory of baba was when we were kids in the early 90's every Sunday when the sun would start to set he would tell us we were going on an adventure to be ready. He would prepare snacks and juice so we had the full experience, put us all in the car me Kosta Ang and Nick in the back seat of his sweet ride the classic Oldsmobile Delta 88, buckled us in while mama in the front and off we were. He would drive from Brampton to Caledon and the view was amazing. He would drive through the countryside roads through the beautiful trees and blast the Greek tunes while going through the winding roads, as they would go up and down the waves of the road like we were going on a rollercoaster. As we went down we'd start laughing and hang on tight and that's the laughter and smiles he was waiting for, it went on for hours into the darkness. Then we would make our way to Dairy Queen for Sunday Sundays and then make our way home. We called it Sunday Funday Asimakopoulos style lol.

Kostas remembers the late nights spent closing Mr. Sub together and driving home along Jane Street. Stopped side by side at the lights at Jane and Lawrence, they would exchange a glance before racing their cars down the empty streets at 2 a.m. — Kostas in his Mazda MX6 and Demetre in his Jeep Grand Cherokee — sharing moments of laughter and connection that became unforgettable.

Angela fondly remembers working alongside her father throughout their many family restaurant ventures. One of her favourite memories was secretly turning their family Mr. Sub into “Club Sub” after hours with friends, thanks to having the keys. The next morning often brought questioning from her dad about why things were not quite how he had left them. He eventually caught on to “Club Sub”, it wasn't shut down, just no longer a secret in the later years. The memory and laughter surrounding it lived on for years with dad.

Nick remembers when he would go with his dad to Sonny’s for cheeseburgers or fish and chips.

One memory that will forever stay with all four of his children was their family trip to Blue Mountain — a trip filled with endless laughter, bonding, and unforgettable experiences together as a family.

Demetre’s legacy lives on through his children, family, friends, and all those whose lives were touched by his kindness, generosity, humour, and unwavering love. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

Donations can be made in Demetre's memory to Diabetes Canada. 

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