A celebration of life has been announced following the deaths of George and Rodoula Loizides, the lifetime partners that founded George’s Greek Cafe after immigrating to Long Beach.

The celebration, set to take place on Sunday, Nov. 3 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., is open to the public and will take place at the courtyard at The Hubb, located at 100 W. Broadway (George’s Greek Cafe’s Pine location; courtyard is located behind the restaurant). Organizers of the event ask that in lieu of flowers or gifts, donations be made to the American Cancer Society. Donations can be made by clicking here.

A private funeral will be held Monday.

George passed away Tuesday morning, Oct. 15, following a battle with cancer while Rodoula, often called “Mama Rodou,” died five days later after complaining of chest pains.

It was well known that George and Rodou were lovebirds: Constantly hugging, constantly touching, unafraid of public displays of affection, the two had a bond that had extended throughout their rather radical life.

Greek Cypriot immigrants, the pair moved to Long Beach from Zimbabwe in 1980 with three children and little more than $500. Upon arriving in Long Beach, George would take two buses to get to his job at a liquor store, while Rodou worked as a cafeteria attendant at Wilson High School.

In 1999, they opened their first George’s Greek Cafe in Downtown Long Beach, later expanding to two additional locations.

Brian Addison is a columnist and editor for the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or on social media at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.