More than 200 people are expected to gather for a memorial service Wednesday to celebrate the life of Andrew Regios, a co-owner of Pizza Villa in Portland who helped transform the family business into one of the city’s most popular pizzerias.
Mr. Regios died Nov. 11 after a 20-year fight with a blood disorder, polycythemia vera. He was 58.
He was remembered by loved ones this week as a dedicated business partner and loyal friend whose goofy grin and joyful spirit brought laughter to those around him.
Mr. Regios spent most of his life at Pizza Villa, an iconic pizza joint on lower Congress Street started by his parents in 1965. He worked shifts after school and on weekends. He graduated from Deering High School in 1975 and briefly attended the University of Southern Maine. At some point early in college, he left school and traveled across the country. When he returned home, he went to work at Pizza Villa and never left.
Mr. Regios had worked side by side with his two brothers since the early 1980s. His sister-in-law Cathy Regios said the brothers focused on offering customers fresh pizza made with high-quality ingredients. Customer service has always been a top priority, she said. The brothers’ strategy seems to have worked. A Facebook post written the day Mr. Regios died has drawn more than 153 comments.
“He always had a compliment for you,” his sister-in-law said. “Someone referred to him as a sweet, zany Greek boy. He was very joyful, but he was also a prankster. He loved to make up jokes. He could be really corny. He had a sweet, fun and youthful side to him.”
Mr. Regios lived in South Portland. He was previously married and had no children, but he adored his five nieces. Cathy Regios said he would take them ice skating, swimming and out to lunch at nice restaurants.
“For years, I tried to get him to sit at the adult table,” Cathy Regios said, laughing. “He wanted no part of it. He thought hanging with his nieces was far more interesting than hanging with the adults.”
Mr. Regios had varied interests, including playing the guitar, snorkeling, poker and working out.
He played basketball weekly with a group of guys at Woodfords Congregational Church and Cheverus High School for more than 20 years.
He also thought nothing of hopping on his bicycle to ride to his camp on Panther Pond in Raymond, a trek of over 25 miles.
“Andy was an interesting mix of traits,” said his obituary, which was published Sunday. “He loved football, but disliked competition. He had a firm grasp of numbers and the value of money, but was generous to a fault. He was a firm skeptic, yet he embraced the mystical. Overlaying all these qualities was his uncanny perception which connected dots many people never even see, never mind connect. Every person is unique, but Andy upped the ante.”
Mr. Regios had a passion for food that fueled his love for traveling. In recent years, he took trips to Thailand and Aruba, where he enjoyed snorkeling and scuba diving. He also had a passion for art.
“He had a great artistic eye. He had a lot of energy for art. His decorating style was very apparent,” his sister-in-law said.
Mr. Regios endured a 20-year fight with the blood disorder. He stopped working in April when his health declined.
The restaurant will be closed Wednesday. His memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. at Jones-Rich-Hutchins Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St., Portland. A reception will follow. Details will be given at the funeral home.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
