Christos “Chris” Katsifis, an engineer, restaurateur and longtime Central New Jersey resident, passed away on Monday, July 20, 2026. He was 90.
Chris was born on December 24, 1935, in Kleidi, Greece. As a boy, he worked as a shepherd in the surrounding hills. During the Nazi occupation, violence and loss changed life in his village, and he left Kleidi for Piraeus at a young age.
After serving for several years in the Greek Merchant Marine, Chris came to the United States to continue his education. He attended the Indiana Institute of Technology, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. He also became a United States citizen.
In 1967, he married Georgia Kontogiannis in Chicago. The couple raised two children, Athena and Constantine. Chris moved to Old Bridge, New Jersey, in 1971 and began a 30-year career with Control Air. Three years later, the family settled in East Brunswick, where they lived until 1997.
Chris later settled in the Hightstown and East Windsor area, where he developed strong ties over nearly 30 years. In 1988, he purchased the Americana Diner, now known as Americana Kitchen & Bar.
Learning remained an important part of his life. He read widely, with a particular interest in history, and later traveled to many of the places he had spent years studying. He shared many of those journeys with his longtime companion, Anita Raboi, and the two continued to enjoy dancing.
Chris often described himself as “Greek by birth, American through life, but a citizen of the world.” His family remembers his courage, curiosity, and philotimo, along with his ability to find meaning in both new discoveries and everyday moments. His curiosity and eagerness to learn remained with him throughout his life.
His wife, Georgia, passed away in 2003. He is survived by his daughter, Athena, and her husband, Steve Bishop; his son, Constantine, and his wife, Helen Simigiannis; his longtime companion, Anita Raboi; and seven grandchildren, Christian, Eleni, Christos, Dimitri, Georgia, Stefano and Emilia.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, July 28, from 9:30 to 11:00 am at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, 1200 Klockner Road in Hamilton, New Jersey. The funeral service will follow at 11:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Chris’s memory to Saint George Greek Orthodox Church in Hamilton or to the Elytis Chair Fund at Rutgers University.