Petros Arsenlis

Petros “Pete” Arsenlis passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 14th, surrounded by his family. Born in Stavrodromi, Greece in 1943, he courageously immigrated alone to the United States in 1969 to start a new life and create better opportunities for his family. His wife, Elpida, joined him in 1973 after they were married. By helping two brothers and a cousin move to the United States and start their own families, he established a legacy that continues to live on and grow.

He initially worked as a tailor and quickly showed his work ethic by becoming a business owner and restaurateur, first opening a restaurant in Philadelphia, followed by one in Lansdowne. For 28 years, he and his wife owned and operated the Lansdowne Diner, where they became well-known members of the community and forged long-standing relationships with their employees and regular customers. He always went out of his way to make sure that they were all taken care of, especially at the holidays, even packing and delivering meals to those who could no longer leave their homes.

Most of all, he loved his family and did everything he could do to support his children in their education. They all went on to pursue advanced degrees and built careers he was immensely proud of. He enjoyed taking his family on spontaneous road trips up and down the east coast. He was known as the family handyman and was always eager to test his skills with a repair project. After his retirement, he enjoyed visiting and spending time with his grandchildren, who knew him as “Papou.”

He is survived by his beloved wife Elpida, “Nitsa,” loving children Athanasios “Tom” (Alexandra), Sophia Arsenlis (David Lynch), and Maria Arsenlis (David Ory). He was the devoted grandfather of Zoie, Peter, Hope, Julia, Eliana, and Apollo. He is also survived by siblings Dimitrios, Ekaterina, Anastasios, and Paschalis.

Friends and family are welcome to attend his viewing from 10am to 11am on Thursday, December 19, 2024, at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church 229 Powell Ln. Upper Darby, Pa 19082. His funeral service will be 11am in the church. His interment will follow at SS. Peter and Paul Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the church.

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