New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Concert to aid scholarships honoring late Chip’s owner
ORANGE — When the executive director of the nonprofit Milford Performance Center sought to arrange a concert to benefit a scholarship in the name of his late, close friend George Chatzopoulos, Steve Cooper carefully picked a group he knows personally.
“I wanted to make sure the musicianship was equal to the kind of man George was,” said Cooper, also a noted photographer throughout the state. “He was just a special guy.”
The concert is happening Friday and tickets are available at the door.
The Jersey Tenors, described musically as “from Frank Sinatra to Frankie Valli to Figaro,” according to the group’s website, will give a concert Friday in the banquet hall at St. Barbara Church, 480 Racebrook Road, where Chatzopoulos was a devout parishioner.
The doors open at 6 p.m. and show begins at 7:30. Tickets are $39-$49.
Chatzopoulos, who died in January after a yearlong battle with brain cancer, was the beloved owner of Chip’s Family Restaurant here and in four other communities. His legacy is one of kindness and generosity in the community — any organization that needed a donation or wanted to do a fundraiser, he was there for them, according to friends and family.
So many people loved him and wanted to donate money following his death that the family set up a scholarship fund in his honor, his sister and business partner Dina Bajko said. The details of the scholarship are still being worked out by St. Barbara Church and the
family.
“This (a scholarship) was the best way to honor him because of George being so special and his caring way with friends and family,” Bajko said. She will attend the concert.
Bajko, who said Chatzopoulos gave her a “gift” by dying in her arms, said she continues to feel her brother’s daily presence in guiding the business and life, and she hopes to hold a huge fundraiser with her family in the next year.
The Rev. Peter Orfanakos, pastor of Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, said details of the scholarship
are being established.
“I think the scholarship is a wonderful tribute to George as it highlights his philanthropic spirit and his strong belief in supporting the young adults of our parish as they strive to challenge themselves in the pursuit of greater knowledge,” Orfanakos said.
Cooper met Chatzopoulos about 20 years ago when he dined with buddies at Chip’s after golf on Saturdays.
The two became so close that Cooper and his life partner spent 10 days in Greece with Chatzopoulos. Cooper, a well-known area photographer, did photographs for billboards related to the restaurant as well as family portraits.
He said the Jersey Tenors are perfect for his friend who loved music.
“Their voices are spectacular. It’s a fun concert,” he said.
How does Cooper remember his friend?
“A big smile, a big hug and with any group he was very philanthropic — police, fire, Rotary,” Cooper said. “He never said ‘no’ to anybody. He was always helping.”