Robert George Alexiades
George Alexiades, 89, of Santa Barbara CA, passed away on November 11, 2021 in the care of hospice while surrounded by his loving family.
George was born on May 6, 1932, in Maroussi, a suburb of Athens, Greece to Theodore Constantine and Theodora (Christodoulu) Alexiades. George grew up in Greece with his sisters, Angeliki and Mary, during the Second World War before immigrating to the United States with his family in 1948 and settling in New York City.
He was drafted into the Army in 1950, serving 2 years active duty in The Korean War. He was Honorably Discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant.
George then studied theater, attending The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. He eventually made his way to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.
He then became a regular dancer at the Intersection Folk Dance Coffee House in Los Angeles, later joining the Hellenic Dancers and performing regularly at special events.
With the encouragement from friends and family, George opened The Plaka in Santa Barbara in 1970. The Plaka quickly grew from a small Greek taverna where people would gather to folk dance, to becoming a culturally authentic Greek meeting place where you came to eat, drink, dance, and be entertained by belly dancers and George’s famous Table Dance. And sometimes plate breaking, OPA!!
After 2 decades, George decided to close the Plaka and follow his passion for travel and adventure. He climbed Mount Whitney, Mount Everest base camp and Mount Kilimanjaro. He was a cycling enthusiast and would often ride his bicycle from Santa Barbara to Malibu. When he wasn’t adventuring, he loved to spend his days gardening, working out at the gym and enjoying time with his friends and family. He was a great friend, a loving father and an adoring grandfather.
George is survived by his three children Theodore, Alexis and George II, and grandchildren, Abigail, Anna, Zoe & Weston. We miss you deeply.
A celebration of George’s life will be held October 9th in Santa Barbara. If you were a friend of George’s and would like to attend, please email CelebrateGeorgeAlexiades@gmail.com for details.