Jason Delgado
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis will travel to Greece alongside his mother this week as they honor the passing of his father, Jimmy Patronis Sr.
Patronis Sr., 88, died in early January of 2020 after a long illness. But travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic left loved ones abroad unable to attend a service.
A Florida State University graduate and an Air Force veteran, Patronis Sr. leaves behind a thriving family, a restaurant and winery.
“Although he is an alumnus of Florida State, and was a diehard Florida State sports fan, we must not fail to mention that Jimmy attended the University of Florida for a year and a half,” an online obituary reads.
His father, Theo Patronis, came to the United States from Patmos, Greece in 1921. Alongside his wife, Evangelia, they ran a nickel hot dog shop adjacent to the Capitol building.
Patronis Sr. is perhaps best remembered as a restaurateur.
After moving to Panama City in 1953, he and his brother operated the Seven Seas restaurant and later opened the award-winning Captain Anderson’s.
“The rest is history,” Panama City News-Herald reporter John Henderson wrote in 2017. “Since then, Capt. Anderson’s has become a staple in the community, growing from a 90-seat restaurant that primarily served tourists going on fishing boats from Capt. Anderson’s marina to a 725-seat establishment serving more than 250,000 guests during its eight-month season.”
Patronis Sr. is survived by his wife, Helen Cleondis Patronis, four sons and grandchildren.
“He was the rock of our family and truly understood the value of hard work so his children and grandchildren could have a better life,” Jimmy Patronis wrote on Twitter after his father’s passing.
In a statement, Frank Collins, a spokesperson for Patronis, said the CFO is “prepared to return to the state immediately for any emergency that threatens lives — like a hurricane.”
