Obituary of Joseph Demourtzidis

Joseph "Joe" Demourtzidis passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early morning hours of October 16, 2022. Orphaned at an early age in the aftermath of WWII in Greece, Joe grew up humbly and with a deep longing and appreciation of family. He eventually married his beloved Irini Kotanidis Demourtzidis, moved to the United States, and started his own family. Along with his brother-in-law and cousin, Joe founded Pat's Pizza and moved his family from Philadelphia, PA to Pennsville, NJ. Joe's defining characteristics were not his humble childhood or his entrepreneurial accolades. Rather, his quick-wit, positive attitude and resiliency are what those who knew him best will always cherish. His love of life was contagious. His jokes, his laugh, his love, his can-do attitude… those were Joe's building blocks. He endured his life's tribulations with a smile and a song, while unknowingly teaching those around him a lesson - the lesson of life's preciousness. Joe was our comic relief and medicine for the soul. He was our songbird. Perhaps God realized that some songbirds cannot be caged. Joe is survived by his loving wife, Irini Demourtzidis, 2 sons, Steve and Nick (Daphne) Demourtzidis, and 2 grandchildren, Joseph and Irini. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 19, from 9-11AM, followed by a funeral service at 11AM at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 808 N. Broom St., Wilmington, DE 19806. Interment, Silverbrook Cemetery, Wilmington, DE. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox at the above address. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.paganofuneralhome.com.