Nikolaos Matsoukas was born on August 15, 1935 in the village of Troupi, Evia, Greece. He was the second child of four brothers and one sister born to Kostadinos and Maria who were simple farmers and herders.
Nick grew up during the World War 2 and Civil War period in Greece in the 1940s which was one of the most difficult times in the country’s history. Nick experienced many hardships as a child, including famine and imprisonment, which undoubtedly shaped his personality.
Although Nick was not able to be formally educated as he needed to work to support his parents and siblings, his cleverness and ability to negotiate and deal with people were second to none. These skills would serve him well later in his life as a successful entrepreneur and business owner.
Nick served in the Greek military in the late 1950s where he attained the ranking of Green Beret. The exercises and training he received in the military shaped his mentality towards regular exercise and healthy living for his entire life. His relatives often joked that Nick would live forever as a result of his unwavering daily exercise routine.
After the military in the early 1960s, Nick moved to Athens, Greece to look for work where he began to work in the meat industry and learn the skills of the meat trade. Those years in Greece were challenging and seeing that many of his friends were emigrating from Greece in order to find greater opportunities and a better life, Nick made the decision to move to Toronto, Canada in 1962.
He travelled to Canada by transatlantic ship and landed in Halifax where he made his way to the Toronto area. Nick once again faced some hardships having to take on many different jobs, working for farmers on fields, and working as a gold miner in Thompson, Manitoba from 1962 to 1963.
Nick returned to Toronto again in 1963 where he finally settled and quickly achieved his goal of becoming an independent business owner, opening his meat shop at St. Lawrence Market.
In 1963 Nick met his future wife Vasiliki Giannakakos at St. George’s Greek Orthodox church in downtown Toronto. It was love at first sight - they married soon after in 1964, and had three children Kostadinos, Maria and George in 1965, 1966 and 1981 respectively.
Through hard work, perseverance, resourcefulness and a quick wit, Nick expanded his business to include multiple slaughterhouses, a cattle farm, and the store at St. Lawrence Market, the famous Greco Meat Packers.
Over the 40+ years Nick spent at St. Lawrence Market, his larger-than-life personality, sharp tongue and generosity made him a pillar of the St. Lawrence community, and loved by his workers and customers, many of whom travelled for hours from out of town to purchase the high-quality meats Nick sold at the store. Even after his retirement, Nick continued to maintain a hobby farm with cattle due to his love of raising animals.
Nick’s orientation towards exercise and a healthy lifestyle also continued all the way until his 80s. He was famous for weightlifting, skiing and jogging up until his early 80s. Walking and exercising were a regular part of his routine up until his passing.
Nick’s resourcefulness and success were an inspiration to his family and friends. He taught us that through hard work and perseverance anything was achievable.
The only thing bigger than Nick’s personality and success was his love and sacrifice for his family who are devastated by his loss.
Nick is survived by his wife Vasiliki, his children Kostadino, Maria and George, and his grandchildren Nicholas, Christopher, and Dimitri who love and miss him more than words can describe and will cherish his memory always.
