The family of Tony Kouris will welcome friends and loved ones from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers. A service celebrating his 84 remarkable years will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, October 10, 2025, at St. Andrews Orthodox Church of Lubbock, followed by burial at Resthaven Memorial Park Cemetery.
Antonios Nikolaos Kouris was born on January 15, 1941, in the small mountain village of Minthi, Greece, to Nikolaos and Pareskevi Chronopoulos Kouris. In 1969, Tony crossed the ocean in pursuit of the American Dream—a dream built not on luck, but on determination, long hours, and faith in possibility. Sponsored by his friend John Malouf, Tony arrived in the United States with a strong work ethic and the quiet conviction that through perseverance, he could build a better life.
He began his new chapter in Lubbock, Texas, working as a tailor at Malouf’s for ten years. His skilled hands—trained in precision and patience—stitched the foundation of his future. But Tony’s ambition stretched beyond the seams. In time, he took a bold leap, purchasing a small local restaurant called Tommy’s Famous Burgers. For the next forty-seven years, he poured his heart into that business, transforming it into a beloved gathering place where friends became family and every burger was served with pride.
From the rocky hills of Greece to the wide plains of West Texas, Tony’s journey told the timeless story of what is possible when courage meets opportunity. He lived the American Dream not as an idea, but as a daily act of labor, generosity, and tenacity. To his community, he was proof that an immigrant’s perseverance can build not only a business but a legacy.
Tony is survived by his wife, Prudence Kouris; daughters, Kimberly (Ana) Dwiggins and Andrea (Terry) Curl; grandson, Carson Curl; and his siblings and extended family in Greece and Texas. He is preceded in death by his parents, Nikolaos and Pareskevi Kouris.
He came from a tiny village in Greece and departed this life as a proud business owner and patriarch in America. His life was his masterpiece—a testament to grit, gratitude, and the enduring promise of new beginnings.
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