Stylianos Nikolaou Plakakis, 77, died Aug. 29 in Whittier where he was a resident since 1992.

Services were held Sept. 2 at the St. Innocent Russian Orthodox Cathedral. Father John Zabinko officiated. Burial was in Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery. Pallbearers were Yiorgos, Nikolaos, Ilias, and Pavlos Plakakis.

Stylianos was born March 11, 1934 in Athens, Greece to Nikolaos and Maria (Drequelin) Plakakis. He was raised and schooled in Athens. Later attended cinema school in Germany and studied abroad. During WWII, he served with NATO building engines for the C130 Hercules for eight years. He was a film director of motion pictures in Munich, Germany in the mid-1950s.

He moved to Sitka in 1972, and worked in the Pulp Mill. He married Maria Glode in Sitka in 1974, raising his five beautiful children in Anchorage, loving to feed them, and cook them extravagant, delicious gourmet meals. He worked for Local 367 as a Pipefitter on the Pipeline in both Valdez and Prudhoe Bay, retiring in 1992. He also owned Venezia Pizzeria in Anchorage and Talkeetna’s Deli in Talkeetna.

He was a long-standing member of St Innocents. Stylianos volunteered for many events by preparing food and cooking when needed. As a young man, he used to swim the Greek Islands, he also enjoyed listening to classical music and operatic arias.

In Germany, he was First Tenor in the Choir. He loved cooking for many different occasions. He made cut glass artwork, bowls, and glassware, some of which are on display at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens. He enjoyed studying people, and socializing with many strangers. He was always made them feel welcome.

“We will miss our father immensely,” the family stated. “He was known to have a certain way with words. He was loved by all people that met him. He was known for his generosity, gourmet cooking and elaborate meal preparation for family and friends. He used to cook meals that took him hours to prepare and we would sit down and eat in two minutes. He was always satisfied with eager appetites.

We will miss his melodic voice whether at festivals singing or holidays. The residents of Whittier gave him the nickname ‘Mario’ because his voice resembled Mario Lanza’s. We will miss him joking with us about the blanket movie and the bow-bow. We will miss his pronunciation of many savings and works. His accent was distinct. We love you daddy. May your memory be eternal.”

He is survived by his daughters, Nikoleta Plakakis, Anchorage; and Olga Maria Plakaki, Thessolaniki, Greece; sons, Yiorgos Plakakis, Johnstown, PA; Nikolaos Plakakism Claremont, CA; Ilias Plakakis, Carneys Point, NJ; and Pavlos Plakakis, Johnstown, PA; and three grandsons, Angelo, Juliano, and Achilles, all of Claemont, CA

He is preceded in death by his parents.

Arrangements by Alaska Cook Inlet Funeral Services, www.cookinletfuneralhome.com.