George P. Batsakes, Greek American dry cleaner and Navy aerographer, dies at 92

Cincinnati businessman George P. Batsakes, 92, died on Saturday, April 30. He was the co-owner of longtime downtown retail staple Batsakes Brothers Dry Cleaners, which closed in 2000, and the youngest son of Batsakes Hat Shop's founder, Pete Batsakes.

"Till the day he passed, when his nurses recognized Batsakes because of the hat shop, he lit up," said his son Peter Batsakes. "To be part of something so special meant the world to him."

Batsakes was part of a devoted Greek American family who for three generations served downtown Cincinnati, first as fruit sellers and shoe shiners, and later as dry cleaners and hat makers.

In 1907, Greek immigrants Pete Batsakes and his brother (also named George) opened the hat shop. "As soon as he was old enough to hold a broom," said the surviving son, young George and his brother, Jim, worked alongside their father. By the mid-1950s, after the boys had served a turn in the U.S. Navy, they owned and operated the namesake dry cleaners next door.

"My father was incredibly proud to be part of what his father created," said PeterBatsakes. "It offered him an opportunity to meet ballplayers, presidents, singers and actors, creating memories and stories that he shared with his grandchildren until the day he passed."

It was a family affair at the corner of Sixth and Walnut streets in the heart of downtown Cincinnati for 93 years, until the new millennium gave way to new development.

In 2000, both businesses were asked to relocate to make way for what’s now the Contemporary Arts Center. At the time, the city planning department was aiming to build a downtown arts district. Five years earlier, the Aronoff Center for the Arts opened around the corner; the building was designed by renowned Argentinian American architect César Pelli and was considered a real boon for the city’s cultural community. The late Zaha Hadid eventually landed the CAC building commission, but Batsakes Brothers Dry Cleaners (also called J&G Batsakes Dry Cleaners) shut its doors before then.

Enquirer columnist Cliff Radel wrote on the dry cleaners' final day of business that the plan to develop the area wasn’t comprehensive, and many locals thought the decision to relocate both businesses was unfair. Despite being offered a relocation fee of $20,000 to a proposed facility in Over-the-Rhine, as well as a downtown storefront, the Batsakes decided to shutter the shop. It would take at least $180,000 more to move their cleaning equipment and buy new pieces, Radel reported.

They’d also have to pay rent at a new property. By then, Batsakes had already long-owned their Sixth Street building.

Batsakes' uncle, Gus Miller, who emigrated from Greece in the 1950s and took over Batsakes Hat Shop in 1973, decided to relocate. He moved into a first-floor storefront underneath the Terrace Plaza Hotel at the corner of Sixth and Vine Streets near Fountain Square. Miller's work has attracted local Cincinnatians and out-of-towners alike over its decades of service, including football executive Paul Brown; Presidents George and George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan; Italian opera singer Luciano Pavarotti; and American musical artists Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan and Snoop Dogg.

Miller declined to comment for this obituary.

George P. Batsakes was born on December 21, 1929, in Cincinnati to Pete and Helen Batsakes. He served as a naval aerographer for four years until he was honorably discharged on March 30, 1955. At one point during his military career, Batsakes acted as an official interpreter for his aircraft carrier, the USS Bennington, during its European tour stop to Greece.

Batsakes returned home to marry his fiancée, Stella (nee Jonson). She died on August 24, 2006, at the age of 75.

Batsakes' dedication to family and to the city of Cincinnati are still present today. During his life, he was an active member of Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and served as parish council president in 1968. He was instrumental in guiding the architectural and construction process of the church's current home in Finneytown. He also helped grow the Panegyri Greek Festival.

After retiring from the dry cleaners, Batsakes spent much of his time with his three grandchildren, George, Stephanie, and Andrew, to whom he was called "papou." He is survived by his sister Maria Sakellariou and son Peter, who described him as having laughed and joked around until his final days.

Family members will hold a visitation Thursday at Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at 7000 Winton Road, Cincinnati, OH 45224 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The funeral service will follow.

Sydney Franklin reports on the business of real estate in Cincinnati. Follow her on Twitter @sydreyfrank_ and send story tips to sfranklin@enquirer.com.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Batsakes Hat Shop founder's son dies at age 92