Stefanos Provistalis

Stefanos Provistalis, 71 of Willimantic, CT passed away on February 1, 2022. He was born in Iliokomi Serron, Greece, to the late Christos and Aspasia Provistalis. He spent his early years in Vitasta, Greece, and later moved to Thessaloniki and eventually to Athens. Stefanos graduated high school and then went to a trade school to become an electrician. He met his love Maria, in Thessaloniki, while working summers at his aunt’s market. Two weeks prior to Maria and her family scheduled to leave for the United States, Stefanos asked her for her hand in marriage on May 19, 1974. Stefanos then had to find a way to go Stateside to be with Maria. 

He then found a job traveling the world, working as an electrician/mechanic on a cargo ship with hopes of finally docking in the USA. 

While Stefanos worked on the ship he was in constant contact with Maria by sending her letters. In July 1975, Stefanos was informed that his next stop would be Texas City, TX and he began to coordinate the journey to be with Maria and her family in Evansville, Indiana. In the last letter he wrote to Maria, he told her that he would get off the ship and to find him at the closest restaurant to the port, which happened to be a Greek establishment. Maria’s father then used his first $500 that he earned working, to rent a small plane so that Stefanos and Maria could be reunited. Maria’s father and brother flew to Texas City on the day he was disembarking and found Stefanos waiting at that restaurant.

Once Stefanos was with Maria in Evansville, they began planning their future. Stefanos and Maria’s brother then moved 2 hours away to Tennessee, to work at a Greek Pizzeria. In September of 1975, they all moved to Astoria Queens, which is a large Greek community in New York. Stefanos started work as an electrician and went on to start his own company.  

On September 4, 1976, Stefanos and Maria were married, and one year later they moved into their first home. In those years they had three sons together, Christos, Nikolaos and Dimitrios. Stefanos and his family stayed in Astoria for the next 16 years, before moving their family to Willimantic to purchase their first restaurant, Pizza Palace. Three years later, an opportunity arose on the corner of Pleasant and Bridge Street and on May 26, 1994, Pleasant Pizza was born. 

Stefanos and his family operated the business up until his retirement in 2016, thereafter he continued to assist in endless ways. There was nothing that Stefanos couldn’t troubleshoot, he was a jack of all trades and was always up for a challenge. If it were broken, he could fix it. 

Stefanos was a hands-on man and spent much of his time working on his computer, his car, and he played a vital role in creating and executing new visions for Pleasant Pizza. He enjoyed going to the flea market as he was always on the hunt for new tools and gadgets, and there was usually a stop at McDonald’s for a cheeseburger on his way back home. In his later years, he would travel to Greece to be with family and friends and to enjoy his retirement. 

Stefanos is survived by his wife Maria, his three son’s Christos, Nikolaos, and Dimitrios, and his sister Virginia Provistalis. 

Stefanos’s family will receive relatives and friends on Sunday, February 6, 2022, from 2:00PM to 4:00PM at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson Street, Willimantic, CT. His funeral service will be on Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 10:00am at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, 1030 Bradbury Rd. Winter Haven, FL 33880. He will be laid to rest in Winter Haven, FL . In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to his family to help with the funeral arrangements.

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