He was one of the best restaurant operators in Greensboro from over the past 40 years…Around 20 years out there on West Wendover Avenue, and then 20 more years on New Garden Road, Danny’s Restaurant has been a Greensboro institution….
Danny and his staff/crew served up some great meals over the years…They specialized in the breakfast and lunch menu items…Well-known for a really good breakfast special, and their Blue Plate lunch specials from over the years, kept the customers flocking back to Danny’s Restaurant…
Danny Thanos, a very good golfer, and great restaurant owner/manager/cook…Danny could do it all, and when the restaurant day was over/done, Danny would love go out and get in a round of golf….He was into golf, as soon as he arrived into the United States, coming here at age sixteen, from his native home land of Greece…
Danny has a son named Billy, and Billy Thanos used to be one of our regular basketball players at the Forest Valley basketball court…Billy was good buddies with John Cassell and the both of them would be likely to show up at Forest Valley on any given Sunday, back when they both were in high school together, at Grimsley High School…A couple of strong basketball talents there, in Billy Thanos and John Cassell…
Thoughts go out to the Thanos Family, on the loss of their leader, Danny Thanos….
RIP:Danny Thanos, probably on the first tee, ready for a morning round of golf, at that great course up in the sky….Let the links live on, as we remember Danny Thanos…
from www.greensboro.com and CLICK HERE for the Danny Thanos photo and read on for his full obituary…
Thanos, Danny Bill
November 18, 1938 – January 11, 2022
Danny Bill Thanos passed away suddenly at his home in Greensboro, North Carolina, in the early morning hours of Tuesday, January 11, 2022. Known by most as just “Danny,” Danny was born in Mavromati, Karditsas Greece on November 18, 1938. He was the oldest of five children born to Vasilios and Androniki Thanos.
At the age of 16, Danny left Greece for the U.S. with help from his two uncles, Charlie Thanos and John Thanos, who were already established in Suffolk, Virginia. Not knowing any English, Danny arrived in the U.S. by boat, landing in New York and where a bus ticket in his name to Suffolk, VA was waiting for him. When reaching Suffolk, his uncles took him to a golf course, which is when his lifelong love for golf began.
Danny was best known not only for his great skill at golf, but also for the eponymous restaurants that he owned and ran, always with his wife Maria by his side. Having opened in the 1980s, Danny’s Restaurant on Wendover Avenue, which was open for approximately 20 years, was a breakfast and lunch staple for so many in the community. After a short “retirement,” Danny’s Restaurant re-opened in approximately 2002 on New Garden Road, which is where both Danny and Maria spent their working days up until Danny’s passing earlier this week.
Danny was a familiar name in the restaurant community in Greensboro for so many years, earning loyal customers as the years went on. As a testament to the great food and fellowship, there were a handful of truly loyal customers who stuck with him from his “Wendover days” to the New Garden location. As the years went by, patrons of the restaurant were not just customers, but also great friends for their loyal business and camaraderie for so many years. If not at the restaurant, Danny could be found on the golf course, or at home watching golf. His work ethic was second to none, and he was an excellent family man and provider to his family whom he loved very much. He especially enjoyed spending time with his only grandchild, Alexandra. In his younger years, Danny devoted much of his time to the Greek Orthodox Church, which he also loved very much.
Danny is survived by his wife of 56 years, Maria, his sisters, Vasiliki Thanos Xerakias and Eleni Thanos Tsourounakis, both of Ontario, Canada, his son Billy Danny Thanos, his daughter Voula Thanos Dascalakis and his granddaughter Alexandra Maria Dascalakis.
A small private funeral will be held in the near future. In lieu of flowers, the Thanos family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church located at 800 Westridge Road, Greensboro, NC 27410.
May his memory be eternal.