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Letter to the editor

1944: Clearwater Greek is taken by death

By Times Staff Writer
Published December 2, 2007

Dec. 4, 1944

CLEARWATER - Funeral services will be here today for Thomas Speros Fenzos. He was born in Greece, became an American citizen and was known throughout upper Pinellas as "Big Tom" during the years he operated a filling station and beer parlor on S Fort Harrison Avenue near the Belleair city line.

Fenzos died in a Dunedin hospital Saturday and there are no relatives in this country. Arrangements for the services are being made by Moss Funeral Home, with the time dependent upon the wishes of a few friends en route from Charleston, S.C.

A staunch defender of his native land, Fenzos was an outspoken opponent of German and Italian dictatorships long before Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini teamed up for world conquest. When Italy attacked Greece and the sons of Hellas hurled back the black-shirted legions, Fenzos regaled his customers with tales of the ancient Greeks' gallant stand at the Thermopylae.

Then German hordes swarmed down from the north and "Big Tom" sank into the depths of despair. His relatives in Greece may have been killed or might be numbered among the thousands of victims of the Nazis' cold-blooded mass starvation program.

Fenzos willed his entire $17,500 estate to a brother, Constantinos S. Fenzos, and a sister, Mrs. Fotine F. Papuyoannou, both residing in the province of Epirus, Greece. Although he feared the Nazis might have killed both, he sent sums of money to them as long as lines of communication were open.

If the siblings are not found, the entire estate must be used "in a benevolent manner among the people of Greece."

Dec. 5, 1944

Vessel to be named for Clearwater

CLEARWATER - Mayor George R. Seavy last night presented a letter from the U.S. maritime commission to the City Commission announcing that one of the nation's new Victory ships will be named the S.S. Clearwater.

Officials of the maritime board advised Mayor Seavy the city would be authorized to send a Clearwater woman to a California shipyard as the ship's sponsor and to swing the champagne bottle at the Jan. 16 launching. A supply of games, a radio and other comforts for the crew were also requested in the letter.

The matter was referred to governors of the chamber of commerce, with a request for cooperation.

Dec. 7, 1965

Pearl Harbor marked

CLEARWATER - Survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 24 years ago this morning solemnly rededicated themselves to the fight for world peace amid the sight of color guards and the sound of low-flying jet aircraft at the Clearwater bayfront in War Memorial Park.

Nearly 200 men who lived through the Dec. 7, 1941, attack that opened World War II for the United States gathered first in Clearwater Auditorium.

The guest speaker was George Tornwall Jr. of St. Petersburg, Air Force veteran and member of the Florida Development Commission, who represented Gov. Burns.

The exact moment of the attack - 7:55 a.m. EST - was observed with a prayer while Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine and Coast Guard color guards stood at attention.

A wreath was placed in the Memorial Park near the entrance to the Memorial Causeway.

Then a quartet of air force jets thundered over.

Lookinng back

Headlines through the years

A look back at the events, people and places that made North Pinellas the unique place that it is. The information is compiled from past editions of the St. Petersburg Times.

[Last modified December 1, 2007, 20:35:47]