George P. Cazanis

Born November 1, 1936 in Tourlada, Greece, George passed away in his home on January 29, 2022. He is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Koula; his sons Peter (Katerina) and Michael (Melina), and his beloved grandchildren: Iliana, Giorgo, and Adrianna. George is also survived by his siblings John (Sacramento) and Foto (Australia), and 15 nieces and nephews and their 19 children. He is preceded in death by his siblings Eugenia, Theodore, Panayiota and Anna.

George immigrated to the United States in 1955 with the help of his paternal uncle, John Cazanis, whom he greatly respected and loved. It was his Uncle John and Aunt Mary who helped him understand how to make a life for himself in a new country that was so different from the life he knew in Greece.

In 1960, before he became a citizen of the United States, he joined the Army and spent two years serving at various posts as part of the 3rd Armored Division. He was incredibly proud of his service to his new home country, a point that he would consistently remind his sons of throughout his life.

In 1962 he started working for Raley’s Supermarkets as a Grocery Clerk. Spanning a 36 year career with the company, he held various positions including managing stores #10 in North Sacramento and #28 in Carmichael. As his children grew and spending more time with them became a priority, George scaled back from his responsibilities of managing stores. He finally retired in 1998 from store #402 in North Highlands, where he was Head Clerk.

In 1974 George married the love of his life Koula, and together they built a life and family in Citrus Heights. Known for having a large yard and garden, George often spent the late afternoon hours and his free time on weekends landscaping and tending to his vegetables and fruit trees. It gave him great joy to share the produce from his garden with his family and friends. Being a man of faith, George also dedicated some of his retirement years to assisting with the Greek Orthodox Annunciation Senior League, volunteering at the Greek Food Festival, as well as attending church regularly on Sundays.

Friends are invited to attend a Trisagion Service on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 6:30pm at Nicoletti, Culjis & Herberger Funeral Home, 5401 Folsom Blvd. Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at 11:30am at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 600 Alhambra Blvd. Interment at East Lawn Mortuary & Sierra Hills Memorial Park, 5757 Greenback Lane. In lieu of flowers, monetary donations can be made in his memory to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, Sacramento Building Fund.