My dear uncle Peter.  I’m thinking of you today and wishing i could turn back the clock.  I remember the time i flew to Washington D.C. for business and you showed me where you worked.  Your pride in your rich heritage was always an inspiration to me.  As well as your strong work ethic.  You were a beast dear uncle!  Now you are with most of your siblings and my sister.  Thank you for making my life richer.  Love, Be

Αγαπημένε μου πεθερέ,

Αν και σπάνιες οι φορές που βρεθήκαμε μαζί λόγω της μεγάλης απόστασης Αμερικής Ελλάδας θα ήθελα να σε αποχαιρετήσω στο τελευταίο σου ταξίδι. Πάντα θα θυμάμαι τις πολύωρες συζητήσεις που κάναμε μαζί.
   Είναι γεγονός ότι ήσουν πανάξιος πατέρας, καθώς ενέπνεες τόσο την εμπιστοσύνη των συγγενών όσο και το σεβασμό και την αγάπη της οικογένειας σου, όντας πραγματικός αφέντης.
   Σαν στρατιώτης Πολέμησες για την δεύτερη σου πατρίδα στον WWII, Asian-Pacific, 1943-1946 και μάλιστα για την προσφορά σου τιμήθηκες με πολλά μετάλλια…
   Ήσουν εξαιρετικός οικογενειάρχης με αδιαπραγμάτευτες αρχές, αυστηρός αλλά ωστόσο αξιαγάπητος, τόσο ανάμεσα στους φίλους σου όσο και στους συγγενείς σου.   Εξάλλου, έσπευδες να προσφέρεις με προθυμία τη βοήθειά σου, υλική και ηθική, σε όλους όσους ένιωθες ότι σε είχαν ανάγκη.
   Αφού αγωνίστηκες από μικρός σαν μετανάστης στο στίβο της ζωής και στους φουρτουνιασμένους ωκεανούς, τα κατάφερες στην ζωή και αξιώθηκες να αποκτήσεις με την πολυαγαπημένη σου σύντροφο Μαρία τέσσερα εξαιρετικά παιδιά, τον Οδυσσέα τον Όμηρο, Την Πανδώρα, και τον Τίμων και από αυτά εννέα εγγόνια και τρία δισέγγονα.
   Τώρα όλοι νιώθουν βαριά την έλλειψή σου. Είναι σίγουρο ότι έφυγες ευτυχισμένος, με τα παιδιά σου γύρω σου. Η γυναίκα σου η Μαρία δε σε άφησε ούτε λεπτό μοναχό σου και σε φρόντισε αδιάλειπτα, με ψυχραιμία, μέχρι την τελευταία στιγμή. Τώρα μπορείς να αναπαυθείς σίγουρος ότι δεν την αφήνεις πίσω μόνη.

Ας είναι ελαφρύ το χώμα που θα σε σκεπάσει…

My dear father-in-law,
Although it is rare that we were together due to the long distance between American and Greece, I would like to say goodbye to you on your final trip.
I will always remember the long conversations we had together.
           It is a fact that you were a worthy father, as you inspired both the trust of your relatives and the respect and love of your family, being a true master.
As a soldier you fought for your second home country in WWII, Asian-Pacific, 1943-1946 and in fact for your offer you were honored with many medals…
          You were a great family man with non-negotiable principles, strict but still lovable, both among your friends and your relatives. You were always willingly to offer your help, material and moral, to all those who felt they needed you.
       After fighting from an early age as an immigrant in the arena of life and in the stormy oceans, you succeeded in life and claimed to have four wonderful children with your beloved wife Maria, Odysseus Homer, Pandora, and Timon and nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
            Now everyone is deeply saddened by your absence. It is certain that you left happy, with your children around you. Your wife Maria did not leave you alone for a minute and took care of you unceasingly, calmly, until the last moment. Now you can rest assured that she will not be alone.
           
 Let the soil that covers you be light…

Warm & beautiful tribute, clearly his family and friends truly loved and treasured him.  Pistol Pete was quite the Tsamiko dancer, OPA!  Physically strong as bull too the way he worked that sledge hammer splitting wood.  He departed many years before he should have, he will be missed by many.  Our sincere condolences to his loving wife Maria (the best Greek everything), my close buddies Homer, Uly, the rest of the family but especially my brother Timon.  May he rest peacefully, everlasting will be his memory and god bless.    

I have been a part of the Mitrakas family for 40 years as a close friend of Tim’s. Tim and I have always jokingly referred to his father as Pistol or Pistol Pete. Ever since I was young he always tried to tell me that because I’m Italian that I am really a Greek. When I saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding he reminded me so much of the father of the family in the movie, always saying ever word was originally from Greece. Last Greek Easter after I received my DNA results Tim told Pistol that he was always right about me being Greek because I was 15%Greek. He will be missed! I am so happy that he died in peace at home with family instead of alone in the hospital.