Steve Kounouklos , 88, passed away on Monday, July 4, 2022 of Midland Park, NJ. He is survived by his wife Themis, and two children Christopher and Anthony and his two grandchildren Paul and Kyra. Steve spent 70 plus years in the restaurant industry and was a fixture in the tristate area restaurant scene. He worked at Steve’s Wortendyke Inn during the 70’s and 80’s serving people from sports legends to CEO’s. People like Tommy John and Phil Simms were frequent customers. He served movie stars and ex-Presidents. From Marilyn Monroe and Mike Douglas to George H Bush. He partied with Anthony Quinn and others during his time in the 50’s. He worked at places like the Commodore Hotel and the Paramount. He would often refer to guys as being good tippers like his favorite Perry Como. Like so many others of his generation he came to the States from a small village in Chios Greece with a few dollars in his pocket and a work ethic that would remain throughout his life. If he was able to, he got in his car and went to work. If you lived in New Jersey over the past 50 years, it’s likely you ate at a restaurant that he either worked in or knew the owners. Including places like the Stone Hill Inn or the Greek Taverna he had friends at almost every diner in the Tri-State area. He was the life of the party and more importantly he made his customers feel like they were Stars. He loved his family and he loved life. Many times as a kids we would be out and about whether it was at trip to the hardware store or a grocery store, He would say hello to a customer and to their surprise; he would say “you ate dinner the other week, or a month ago.” Then the smile would come across their face as they remembered the great time they had. He put on a show every night. No matter if you were a frequent customer or if you were there for a once a year special celebration. His life spanned from the end of the Great depression though a World War to a man landing on the moon and lived through a Global Pandemic. He was a generous man who helped family and friends whenever he could. He was truly a legend and will be sorely missed by those who knew him. In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Cooley's Anemia Foundation.
Viewing will be Friday, July 8,2022 from 2-4pm and 7-9pm at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Ave, Wyckoff, NJ 07481.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Steven Kounouklos, please visit our floral store.