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2011 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 466
Celebrating the life of Sophocles John Dokos.
 
Agreed to by the Senate, February 17, 2011
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 22, 2011
 

WHEREAS, Sophocles John Dokos, an industrious engineer, restaurateur, and resident of Williamsburg, died on November 20, 2010; and

WHEREAS, born in 1919 to a Greek immigrant family, Sophocles “Steve” Dokos, was a native of the Chicago, Illinois, area and enjoyed many artistic and cultural events and exhibits in Chicago as a young child; and

WHEREAS, to assist his family throughout the depression, Steve Dokos began working at a young age; at the age of eight he joined his brother and sold ice cream bars from a push cart; and

WHEREAS, his early experiences imbued Steve Dokos with an appreciation for an honest day’s labor, and he developed a strong work ethic that propelled him through life; and

WHEREAS, Steve Dokos found a great benefactor in the inventor, Oscar Moore, who, seeing potential in his apprentice toolmaker, joined the Dokos family in contributing funds for his higher education; and

WHEREAS, Steve Dokos graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1943 and later earned his doctorate in applied mathematics; and

WHEREAS, recognized as an authority on the mechanics of friction, the vibrant and handsome Steve Dokos gained national acclaim in the 1940s; and

WHEREAS, throughout his career as an engineer, Steve Dokos worked at Westinghouse Laboratories, supervised scientists studying the effects of the atom bomb, designed sewing machines, and spent 20 years designing appliances as a vice president of the Sunbeam Corporation; and

WHEREAS, after retiring from Sunbeam, Steve Dokos channeled his vast energies into a second career in the restaurant industry with the purchase of a single McDonald’s franchise in Roanoke; and

WHEREAS, Steve Dokos developed a group of 11 franchises between Roanoke and Norfolk before selling them in 1985 to establish a series of independent restaurant concepts in Tidewater, including Cheers, Beacon Street, Seasons Restaurant, and Stephanos Pizza and Subs; and

WHEREAS, Steve Dokos will be fondly remembered by his wife of 30 years, Geri; his five children, John, Daniel, Deborah, Rick, and Demetri; his nine grandchildren; and by his many friends and neighbors; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Sophocles John Dokos, industrious engineer and restaurateur; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Sophocles John Dokos as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.