Haralambos Pegnidopoulos

Haralambos (Bobby) Pegnidopoulos age 89 of Fairfield, beloved husband of 54 years to the late Helen Nanake Pegnidopoulos and loving father of Angelo Pegnidopoulos, passed away peacefully at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford on Tuesday, December 8, 2020. Haralambos or more commonly known as Bob, Bobby or “Bobby the Greek” to his friends and coworkers was born in Athens, Greece on November 28, 1931 to the late Arhangelos and Sevasti Karfopoulos Pegnidopoulos. Bob, his parents and his two brothers moved to Thessaloniki, Greece when he was very young and this is the city he called home.

Growing up in a war torn country, he developed a love of the military. All his life he enjoyed watching war movies and reading about WWII. He was a very intelligent man and also read a lot of novels in his day. As a young man, he had a desire to attend a great college or university, but hard financial times did not allow it. He attended technical school instead and became a machinist after serving in the Greek army as a Black Beret in the heavy armored tank divisions. His lifelong sweetheart Helen, had already made the move to America as a young girl for a better life. Now that she was a US citizen she returned back to Greece and married Bob on November 1, 1959 and the two of them traveled to America as husband and wife in February of 1960. They celebrated 54 years of marriage until her passing in 2013. A true example of the American dream.

He retired from the C.O. Jelliff Corporation in Southport, CT, after 41 years of service in 2001, first as a machinist and then as a machine shop foreman. But he couldn’t sit still, so he returned back sometime later and worked part time to give a helping hand, he worked until he was 88 years old.

He is survived by his son Angelo of the Huntington area of Shelton, a sister-in-law Anastasia Andriotis and her husband Demetrios of Trumbull, brother-in-law Nicholas Andtiotis of Greece, his nieces and nephews Toula Magi and her husband Glen of Trumbull, Vicky Andriotis of Bridgeport, Effi Andriotis and husband Mickey Brooks of Trumbull, Frank Andriotis of Greece, several nieces and nephews in Greece. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Always with a smile, always wanting to talk your ears off and always whistling while he worked. The family would like to thank the Bridgeport Hospital ICU and Gaylord Hospital Milne1.

Friends are invited to go directly to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 4070 Park Avenue, Bridgeport on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. where the Rite of Burial will be officiated by Father Georgios Livaditis with interment immediately following in Long Hill Burial Grounds, Trumbull. Calling hours will be held on Monday, December 14, 2020 from 4-8 p.m. in the Commerce Hill Funeral Home, 4798 Main Street, Bridgeport with Trisagion services at 5 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Holy Trinity Church in memory of Bob. For online condolences, memorial tributes and donations, visit us at commercehillfh.com

AIONIA I MNIMI