Sotirios D. Toskos

Sotirios "Steve" Damianos Toskos, 88, of Columbia City, Indiana, passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday, March 26, 2022, with his wife, May, by his side. Born July 11, 1933, in Vissinia, Greece, he was the son of Damianos and Vasiliki (Pantsios) Toskos.

As a child growing up in Greece during the Second World War, his grandfather would tell Steve and his siblings and cousins stories about a place called Fort Wayne, where they could work hard, earn lots of money, and always have plenty to eat. Although his education was often interrupted by the War and the Greek Civil War that followed, he was a proud graduate of the American Farm School in Thessaloniki, Greece, where he graduated at the top of his class in 1953.

After serving as a truck mechanic in the Greek Army, he immigrated to the United States in 1959 and immediately moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he married his childhood sweetheart, Thomai “May” Zikos, on May 1, 1960.

He was first employed in his uncle’s construction business in Fort Wayne, before going to work as a truck mechanic for International Harvester. In 1979, Steve and May bought Greenblatt’s Furs in Fort Wayne and operated it as a family business until their retirement in 1996. Steve and May moved to Columbia City in 1994 and he will always be remembered for visiting with everyone while working out at the local YMCA. He regularly told everyone how much he loved his adopted community.

Steve was a member of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Fort Wayne since it was first established in 1961.

Steve is survived by his wife, May Toskos; one son, Damianos (Thomai) S. Toskos of Kastoria, Greece; three daughters, Soultana (Jon) S. Myers of Columbia City, Vasiliki (Napoleon) S. Grantsaris of Crown Point and Athena (Scott) S. Metzger of Churubusco; sister, Elaine Vlahos of Garden City, New York; brother-in-law, Damianos Mantsios; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and godchildren who adored their Papou, Theo and Nouno. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Marika Mantsios; and brother, Thomas Toscos.

Visitation will be 4 to 8 pm with a Orthodox Trisagion Prayer Service beginning at 7 pm on Thursday, March 31, 2022 at DeMoney-Grimes Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Funeral services will be 11 am Friday at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 110 E Wallen Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46825 with Fr. Cosmin Sicoe. Burial will follow at Greenhill Cemetery in Columbia City. Memorial donations may be given in his memory to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.  Visit www.DeMoneyGrimes.com to send Steve's family online condolences or sign the online guest book. May his memory be eternal.