Angelo E. Pefanis

06/16/ 1929 03/04/2023 Mr. Angelo E. Pefanis, M.S., C.F.E., C.C.E. Certified Food Educator, Certified Culinary Educator, Former owner of the Park Lane Restaurant, Past Church President, Founding member Western New York Chapter of Professional Chefs Association Angelo E. Pefanis, beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 4, 2023 surrounded by family. Born to the late Harry and Marianthe Pefanis in Buffalo, he raised his family in Amherst, NY and is survived by his daughters Marian (John) Widmer, Anna (Jeffrey) Hess, and Jeanine (Bobby) Hackett. Angelo is the proud Papa of his grandchildren, Jonathan Widmer, Brandon Hess, Emma Widmer, Julia Widmer, Justin Hess, Natalie Widmer, Hailey Hackett, and Allison Widmer. Angelos wife of 62 years, Basilia (nee Mourkos) passed away in 2020. Angelo and his brothers, the late Nicholas (Penny) and the late Jerry (late Athena) grew up on the West Side of Buffalo where they went to school, played sports, and began their careers in the restaurant industry. Angelo was the proud uncle of a niece and four nephews. He was an avid golfer and enjoyed playing at courses around Western New York. In addition to spending time with family, Angelo enjoyed working out at the Veterans Medical Center and networking with fellow Vets. His dearest friends came from that group, as they would spend countless hours reminiscing and telling stories. Angelo served stateside during the Korean conflict in the U.S. Army and achieved the rank of Corporal. After his service to the country, he worked in various restaurants throughout Western New York. As he perfected his skills, he aspired to elevate the culinary profession. He was determined to raise the bar ensuring that Chefs would be treated with the respect they deserve. He earned a Masters Degree in education and taught at Emerson Vocational Institute, Seneca Vocational, and Buffalo State College. In addition to the curriculum, Angelo took an interest in his students. "He was my teacher at Emerson High School in 1959 when I was a freshman," commented David Florian. "He loaned me his car so I could take driving lessons." Sixty years after graduating High School, Florian stated of his friend, "I still keep in touch with him. Mr. Pefanis helped lead me towards a successful food service career." After retiring from the Buffalo Public School District, Angelo and his wife Basilia purchased the legendary Park Lane Restaurant in Buffalo. During those 12 years, he demanded high levels of perfection and mentored his team to uphold strict standards of culinary excellence. Angelo was the founding member of the Professional Chefs Association of Western New York (P.C.A.) and according to longtime Buffalo Chef, Mark Wright, "Angelo was a gentleman and a mentor to many local chefs who succeeded in their careers because of him. He offered sound leadership and a unique way of taming egos of the 12 original members to work together to benefit the organization. His ultimate goal was to train upcoming Chefs to hone their skills to proudly serve the industry in a professional manner." The local charter was formed in 1969 and Chef Pefanis organized many competitions by bringing in talent from outside New York to compete in Buffalo. According to Wright, "His intention was to have the Chefs run the organization and while he wanted to be recognized as a founding member, he took little credit for its success." He was highly involved with the accreditation and certifying process to help Chefs gain recognition and gain stature within the culinary community. On the 50th anniversary in 2019, the P.C.A. welcomed Pefanis at their annual dinner and presented him with a lifetime service award. "He spoke about being a member for 50 years and charged current and future Chefs with the responsibility of consistently maintaining the professional traditions and high standards of the industry." Angelo was a member of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church on Delaware and West Utica his entire life. The Greek Orthodox faith was an integral part of his life especially when it came to traditions and religious holidays. He would explain to his grandchildren about the deeply rooted traditions and customs of the Greek religion and how to live their lives faithfully. He worked tirelessly as a servant leader for the church and served on numerous committees. With a small contingent of like-minded parishioners, Angelo conceptualized what is now known as Buffalo Greekfest which occurs each May at the Greek Orthodox Church on Delaware and West Utica. Since 1977 Greekfest has brought Greeks and non-Greeks together for a weekend of Greek food, desserts, music, and dancing. The festival is a major fundraiser for the parish and continues after 45 years. Angelos greatest joy was spending fulfilling hours with his grandchildren. Whether it was helping with their homework, supervising their activities, playing games, or teaching them how to cook and bake, many of their positive traits came from him. Their month-long family trip to Greece as youngsters provide vivid memories for his girls. His three daughters were extremely close to him and fondly refer to him as a loving and caring man, and the best role model anyone could ask for. His daughters were extremely proud of his accomplishments and volunteer work; and wished they could have listed everything. They wanted to add this phrase from his favorite poem, "All your memories keep me near; in silent moments, Ill be with you" Visitation will be held from 10:00 AM 12:00 PM on Saturday March 18, 2023, at the Lombardo Funeral Home, 885 Niagara Falls Boulevard, Amherst, NY. A funeral service will be conducted at 1:00 PM on Saturday, March 18, 2023 at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church located at Delaware and West Utica. Mr. Pefanis respectfully requested that in lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory be directed to: The Boys and Girls Club of Buffalo; 282 Babcock Street, Buffalo, NY 14210. Your browser does not support this video format. You should be able to view it in Chrome, Safari or Internet Explorer.