Victor D. Kyriakis
29 September 1949 to April 16, 2024
It is with the most profound sadness that I add the passing of our classmate Victor Demetrio Kyriakis to our memorial page. To his classmates, he will always be “Vicki,” a good-natured, friendly, and caring individual with a big smile. However, Nikita Demetrio Kyriakis Georgouses was celebrated throughout the State of Sonora and Mexico in general as a prosperous businessman, philanthropist, and business entrepreneur who contributed substantially as one of the top businessmen in the state. He passed away on Tuesday. April 16, 2024, in Tucson, Arizona, at 74. He is survived by his wife, Maria Elena, and his children Yanula, Aspasia, Eleni, Victoria, and Nikita. His funeral Mass occurred on Wednesday, April 24, at the Nogales Sonora Cathedral. The church was filled with people from all walks of life, including the mayor and other political and well-known personalities.
He completed his education at the Tecnologico de Monterrey (Institute of Technology and Higher Studies), a private university in Monterrey, Mexico. After graduating, he returned to Nogales, Sonora, to join his family’s business, participating in the “La Caverna Restaurant operations. “This famous restaurant, built in the caves of a quarry hill, had been part of the golden age of Nogales and had been part of his family’s history since 1927. His family also had other Arizona restaurants like El Cid, El Apolo, and others. During this time, he owned and operated “El Greco Restaurant” for several years. He subsequently diversified his interests, leaving his passion for the “kitchen” to become a fundamental pillar of the area's economic development. He generated thousands of jobs, founded companies, and built over ten thousand houses and industrial parks.1 Still, he never lost his good heart on “el dia de los albañiles” (dedicated to construction workers who worked on the foundational parts of buildings, masons, bricklayers, and concrete workers). He always spent the day among the workers to demonstrate their importance to him. This is a Mexican national holiday celebrated every May 3rd.
As a special note, it may be remembered by many of you… that during the 1994 Mexican Presidential election, the leading candidate, Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta, from Sonora, was assassinated in Tijuana. Luis had been his close friend since their college days when they had been roommates. You could frequently find them together at El Greco restaurant whenever Luis was in town. When he heard the news, Nikita flew to be with Colosio’s wife and two young children. Sadly, Luis Donaldo’s wife had cancer and passed away within a couple of years. Nikita was the little girl’s godfather, and after the mother passed, he was appointed the legal guardian for both children.2 A task he undertook with great seriousness along with raising his own five children.
He is remembered as a loyal friend, humanitarian, and philanthropist who always showed a selfless concern for the well-being of others. His heart was so big that every year he sent Christmas postcards... but by mail to his friends and family. More than 500 Christmas cards left his office and were sent to any part of Nogales, the United States, Mexico, Europe and, of course, Greece, where he still had relatives, he visited periodically.
https://quidsonora.com/fallecio-nikita-kyriakis-destacado-empresario-nogalense/
- See also Infonavit, La Asociación de Maquiladoras, El Parque Industrial San Carlos, Dynatech, and Edificaciones Habitacionales del Noroeste, which are contributing to job creation and economic growth in the border area.
- Luis Donaldo Colosio Riojas, Son.
Alvaro