Neophytos Ganiaris

January 1, 1935 – December 18, 2024

Neophytos Ganiaris, known to most as “Takis” or “Tex”, age 89, passed away peacefully at home on December 18, 2024 after a more than 20-year battle with lung cancer.

He was born on January 1, 1935 in the village of Kallimasia on the island of Chios, Greece. He graduated from the Commercial High School of Chios before immigrating to the United States. Alone, he boarded the ship Nea Hellas and arrived in New York in August 1952. He lived in Woodbridge, New Jersey with 3 of his maternal aunts - Stella, Vaso and Argiro – and attended Wagner College on Staten Island. Later deciding to pursue a degree in engineering, he transferred to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, graduating with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1957.

During those years he spent many summers working on the boardwalk in Asbury Park and he always looked back at those early years in the U.S. with tremendous fondness.

Takis moved to New York City where he received his Masters in Chemical Engineering at New York University and then started his career at Struthers Scientific Corporation. For 20 years he worked on the freeze concentration process and was granted a number of patents for his inventions in the 1960s and 1970s, including for freeze concentration of coffee.

While he was working as an engineer, he also developed a passion for the stock market and investing. In 1984, he made a career change and joined the former St. Louis based firm of A.G. Edwards & Sons as a stockbroker. Takis flourished as his passion became his occupation and he enjoyed working with friends, relatives and clients (many who became friends) to help them navigate investing and growing their nest eggs. At many a social event he could be found holding forth in a corner about the power of investing in the stock market and at the office he was known as the wise “old” man. He built a thriving practice and in 1998, his daughter Chryssanthe, joined him at A.G. Edwards where they shared an office and enjoyed a 23-year partnership prior to his retirement from Wells Fargo Advisors at the end of 2021.

Takis was an intellectual, a man of tremendous integrity and a true gentleman as well as an ardent supporter of education. As the beneficiary of a scholarship when he attended Purdue University, 12 years ago he decided to pay it forward by endowing the Ganiaris Family Scholarship in Chemical Engineering at the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University.

Takis greatest joy was his family. His beloved wife Voula to whom he was married for 62 years. Voula fell in love with him because he was such a good dancer and they continued to dance until his health condition no longer allowed. Together they built a beautiful life in New York City with many dear friends. His daughter Chryssanthe with whom he had the pleasure of working and sharing his wisdom. And perhaps most of all, his 2 grandsons Tex & Leo, of whom he was immensely proud and to whom the last 20 years were dedicated.

Takis is survived by his wife Stavroula (Metaxa), his daughter Chryssanthe Ganiaris Detroyer, her husband Michael Detroyer and their two sons Neophytos “Tex” Detroyer and Leonidas “Leo” Detroyer, all of New York City. He is also survived by his sister Margarita Manolaki of Chios, Greece and many cousins, nieces and nephews in the U.S. and in Greece.

He was preceded in death by his parents Michael & Chryssanthe Ganiaris, his 3 aunts Stella Bakalas, Vaso Lamprinoudis & Argiro Sotirakis, his brother Andronikos Ganiaris, his nephew Michael Ganiaris and his dear cousins Androniki Kokkinakis and George Sotirakis.

In lieu of flowers, it was Takis’ wish that any memorial contributions be made to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.