{"id":45858,"date":"2018-03-09T10:32:56","date_gmt":"2018-03-09T15:32:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=45858"},"modified":"2018-12-28T19:07:28","modified_gmt":"2018-12-29T00:07:28","slug":"smiles-and-tears-filled-retirement-party-in-honour-of-dino-and-bessie-georgas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/smiles-and-tears-filled-retirement-party-in-honour-of-dino-and-bessie-georgas\/","title":{"rendered":"Smiles and tears filled retirement party in honour of Dino and Bessie Georgas"},"content":{"rendered":"

For over 35 years, as owners of Family Place Restaurant, Dino and Bessie Georgas have been providing great food and kind hospitality to their patrons. Having recently retired, it was finally their turn to sit back and enjoy the accolades of their hard work.<\/p>\n

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On Monday, family and friends gathered in the restaurant to throw a surprise retirement party for them. It is hard to imagine keeping a surprise from Bessie, who is an avid reader and Facebook user, but somehow her children, Kirani and Chris, were successful in getting their parents to the restaurant where life-long friends, customers, family and employees where ready to greet them. Judging by the tears of joy in Bessie\u2019s eyes and the smile on Dino\u2019s face, they were indeed surprised.<\/p>\n

When Dino and Bessie announced their retirement last fall<\/a> <\/span>they said they were very pleased to be passing the reins to a younger generation with whom they had a personal connection. It was evident at the retirement party that the admiration goes both ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have known Dino and Bessie my entire life,\u201d said Jenny Spring, co-owner with Oliver Wolfe of Family Place Restaurant, in her congratulatory speech. \u201cI would see Dino driving to work at four in the morning. I would be coming home from parties and Dino would be going to work,\u201d Jenny said to laughter. \u201cDino and Bessie have always been a part of my family. I was really lucky to grow up in a neighbourhood with a community of parents and Dino and Bessie were there.\u201d<\/p>\n

They have always been so generous. We are very lucky to have had them as business partners helping us along on this journey. We could not have asked for a better relationship. The transition has been so smooth and they are so supportive and so helpful; we are very grateful. Thank you everyone for coming. I think everyone shares the same love that I have for them and everything that they do in the community. Jenny Spring, co-owner of Family Place Restaurant<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Obviously moved by the kind words, the restaurant filled with smiling faces, and the wonder of what lies ahead for them, Bessie spoke. \u201cThank you all for coming; not just for today but thank you for all the years for being not only loyal customers but loyal friends too. It\u2019s not that we are going to miss you; we miss you already,\u201d she said choking back tears. \u201cI think Dino is adjusting to retirement better than me. He goes out for coffee every morning, goes for beer at night. I stay home cleaning and doing the dishes and I don\u2019t think I like it very much!\u201d Bessie said to laughter.<\/p>\n

Although Bessie joked about staying home to clean she also admitted that she and Dino have been sleeping in, have been on a holiday with each other \u2014 the first in many, many years \u2014and that they are both looking at taking up new hobbies and spending more time with family and friends.<\/p>\n

Nobody would deny that they deserve all of that and more! Happy retirement, Dino and Bessie.<\/p>\n\n\t\t