Thursday, October 29, 2020

Bill Moves to the Great Greek Tavern in the Sky

 A Jackson gem passed away recently.  Vasilios Konstantinos Matheos was his actual name but most people knew him as Bill as in Bill's Greek Tavern.  Mr. Matheos died at his home on October 11.   He led a rather colorful life.  Such people are the much-needed Tabasco sauce for every community. His obituary states:



Bill’s life story reads like an adventure novel, recounting tales that transformed a young European villager into a larger-than-life American patriot, business-owner, husband, father, grandfather and friend. Bill was born on July 15, 1935 on the small island of Thassos, Greece in the North Aegean Sea. The son of a fisherman father and a mother renowned for her cooking throughout the Greek village, young Bill quickly learned the values of family and hard work, and the joy that cooking brings to people – all of which shaped Bill’s long and colorful life.

As a young man, Bill joined the Greek Navy and served for three years. During his naval service, Bill honed his cooking skills as a chef, and began plotting his next big adventure – immigrating to America. From 1963-1968, Bill unsuccessfully attempted to immigrate by “jumping ship” to America on three separate occasions in New York, Baton Rouge, and Galveston. Though he was deported to Greece after each attempt, he ultimately found immigration success and a path to American citizenship in Houston, Texas in 1968. It was then that he “won the lottery” as he said when he met and married young Judy Harrison, who became his wife of 52 years and the love of his life until the time of his passing.

In 1972, Bill and Judy had moved to Mississippi, and in that year, they opened a restaurant that became a Jackson landmark in family, social, and political circles for 46 years. He owned, managed, and held court at the restaurant under the name “Bill’s Burger House” until he decided to return to his young Thassos cooking roots, and he converted the burger house to a Greek seafood restaurant known as “Bill’s Greek Tavern.” Bill’s two daughters Eleni, “The Trustmark Bank Lady”, (1972) and Kostas, “The Doctor”, (1977) grew up working alongside Bobby and Juju at “The Hut”. He frequently said, “a little hard work never hurt anyone”.

As the owner and cook, Bill spent days and nights in his restaurant with his loyal customers, many of whom he considered dear friends and extended family members. Bill had a heart of gold and never met a stranger. With his Mediterranean menu offerings, and his loud and constant bellows of “God Bless America” throughout the restaurant, customers flocked to enjoy Bill’s great food, patriotism, and fun demeanor. He often shared his mother’s advice that there are three things you need to be concerned about: women, fire and water. Two of Bill’s most loyal customers were Mississippi literary giants Willie Morris and Eudora Welty, the latter of which considered Bill’s Greek Tavern to be her favorite restaurant. The restaurant was successfully open for 47 years until he and Judy got sick in 2017 and had to close it.

In his later years, Bobby enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, watching football games, and playing cards. His favorite activity was spending time with his only grandchild, Nicholas, and his troops. Bobby constantly referred to Nicholas as “my best friend in the world.” Bobby also had a four-legged friend- a yellow lab named Ally which he referred to as his “granddaughter.”

Bill is lovingly remembered and survived by his wife of 52 years, Judy; daughters, Eleni Matheos Sanford and Kostas Matheos; grandson, Nicholas Matheos Sanford; granddaughter, Ally Matheos; sister, Tasoula Boras; niece, Eleni Matheos Tsompanoglou and her husband Fotis; brother-in-law, Neil Harrison; sister-in-law, Julie Harrison.

Special thanks to William Castle, MD, Lee Ferguson, MD, Patrick Daily, MD, and the staff at Fresenius Kidney Care, (Lakeland Drive) and their staff.

Pallbearers: Elias Dabit “The Boss”, Theo Gouras “Malak”, Justin Harrison “Justi”, Neil Harrison “My Brother-in-law” Raymond Harrison “Ray Ray”, Nicholas Sanford “My Best Friend”, Nabil Shayeb “My Brother”, Brandon White “The Lawyer”

Honorary Pallbearers: Sims Abney, Tripp Cory, Thad Crawford, Ross Hopkins, Emory Maxwell, Charlie Ott, Carter Stockett, Thomas Thornton, Jay Waits, Will Waits,

Friends that made the voyage to Bill’s home Thassos, Greece: These special friends went to Bill’s home in Greece. They were able to see the olive trees on the island of Thassos, Greece: Dr. Kay Kay Brantley Rosamond, The late Greg Clifton, Bill Cossar, Blair Ainsworth Criminger, Loris Nejam Davis, the late Glen Dewease, Theo Gouras, Neil Harrison, Ellen Hontzas, Tommy Hontzas, Sandy Sanford, Anastasia Hontzas Seavers, Laura Luckett Spencer, Katherine Sykes, and Leigh Singletary Tucker.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 15, 2020 at 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Parkway Funeral Home, 1161 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland, Mississippi 39157. A graveside ceremony will be held at Hollywood Cemetery, 900 Pennsylvania Avenue, McComb, Mississippi 39648 at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 16, 2020. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Mississippi Diabetes Foundation https:\\msdiabetes.org.

Take a break from covid, the elections, orange man bad, antiChrists, and all things that dominate the headlines and treat yourself to a treasure from Jackon's past.  He was one of the last links to the Greeks who were the Jackson restaurant industry. 







 

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Best hamburger and onion rings ever made

Anonymous said...

Such a great restaurant! He was such a gem.

Anonymous said...

It is a common sight for immigrants to sell hamburgers, catfish, or some other fast food to keep their doors open.

There is/was a fried fish house down in Gautier that was run by an older greek couple. The last two pages of the menu were devoted to the Greek dishes you could order. They probably realized early on that you needed to serve the fried delights that the big belly hillbillies wanted for your business to survive.

Anonymous said...

The absolute best!

Louis LeFleur said...

I've been missing Bill and his food since he retired due to both age and health issues. Started riding my bike to Bill's Burger House as a pre-driving teen, and since had many, many ridiculously satisfying lunch and evening fish meals. God Bless America... and God Bless Bill!

Anonymous said...

Chili dogs were the best !

Anonymous said...

God Bless America!

Calm Down said...

Fine burger. Good man. Always a good word.

Anonymous said...

Before the soup nazi was a thing, I got kicked out of Bills for asking for his signature steak sandwich with Mayo only.

Despite it, I still went back. Great food.

You’ve been missed Mr. Bill.

Anonymous said...

To this day his onion rings are the best I’ve ever had, no question.

Anonymous said...

I remember Bill looking through the order window from the kitchen and busting out singing when ever a female walked through the door.

Anonymous said...

Quite an adventurous life. It's actually the Hellenic Navy, not the Greek Navy.

Anonymous said...

RIP. The clarion ledger's "Epicurious" tried to destroy many a restaurant back in the day with his trash reviews.

Anonymous said...

I really hated to hear about Bill.

He was great man (and as most Jackson Greek restaurateurs) . . . also a "character" . . . and I say that in a very affectionate way.

The life of Bill and the late Costas Pavlou ( Costas' Place at the State Fair) were very similar.
Both were roughly the same age, both were born on tiny Greek islands, both jumped ship to get into the
our nation, both loved the restaurant industry and both loved the United States of America and Jackson, Mississippi probably better than those of us lucky enough to be born here.

I hope the family of Vasilios Konstantinos Matheos can take comfort in knowing that he had thousands of friends in his adopted country.

I can hear his famous "God Bless America" greeting as I type.





Anonymous said...

Where are you from my friend, Yazoo city?

Anonymous said...

Be sure to note on the second page of the second newspaper article Bill’s statement (paraphrased by me). “Where else can you come with one dollar in your pocket and in six months have a business. You can work 50 years in Greece and not be able to do that.”

Go read the direct quote for yourself, but that is what many folks take for granted about our great country.

Good man and good food. Sad to see him go.


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