On May 20, 1935 Demetrios (Jimmy) Lagousis was born in Artemisio, Greece. This was a tough time for Greeks that suffered from the Great Depression and soon after ravaged by the Second World War and then again Greece's civil war. These experiences shaped the lives of so many young Greeks and Jimmy Lagousis was no different. In July of 1951, he, like countless other young Greeks, left their homeland to make a better life for himself. Arriving, by boat, on Ellis Island, on July 28, 1951, he slowly made his way to California, where he met, for the first time, his cousins, aunts, and uncles that had journeyed decades before. With a strong work ethic and desire to learn, Jimmy worked in Greek hamburger restaurants and went to night school at Polytechnic and Garfield High Schools. Learning English, American History, and other subjects that led him to be a proud American citizen, he loved everything that the United States had to offer just as much as his Greek heritage. In 1962, on Easter Sunday, he met the love of his life, Panayiota Zaferakopolou. They married on June 10, 1962 and on March 27, 1963 they had their first child and only daughter, Christine. On June 23, 1964, they had their first son, Spiro. A few years later, on January 9, 1970 their second son, Sotiri, was born. He cared deeply for his three children, always making sure they knew how much he loved them. In 1962 he and a partner opened up Jim's Burgers on Bellflower Boulevard in Downey, CA, which he later become the sole proprietor. For the next 41 years he was well known in Downey, and the surrounding community, for great food, serving many families, their children, and their grandchildren. Next to his family, his great love was making the best burger in town. He loved the satisfied look on customers' faces when they took that first bite. He retired on April 1, 2003, selling the business and focusing to his third great love, gardening. He planted, harvested, replanted, harvested again, all sorts of fruits and vegetables. On March 27, 2014, at the age of 78, Jimmy Lagousis entered the Kingdom of Heaven, leaving behind his loving wife, Panayiota, three children, Christine, Spiro, and Sotiri, and his grandchildren, Helene, Demetri, Sammy, and Jimmy.

Funeral Service will be Tuesday, April 1, 2014 at 11:00am held at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, 10830 Downey Avenue, Downey, CA 90241. Interment to follow at Rose Hills.

May his memory be eternal.