Tributes have been paid to the boss of a steak house to the stars whose guests included Hollywood actors.
Nicos Jacovides, the former owner of the Aberdeen Steak House in Preston Street, Brighton, died suddenly earlier this month at the age of 83.
His wife, Flora - who had been with him for 49 years, said his family and all those who knew him have been left in a state of shock by Nicos’ death.
She remembered the moment she first met Nicos, while she was working at a casino in Brighton.
“He was a gentleman and he was good-looking,” she said.
“He was very kind, very generous, too generous sometimes, and very giving.”
Nicos, who was originally from Cyprus, came to the city in the 1960s and owned the steak house in the city centre for over four decades.
Over the years, the restaurant welcomed a range of celebrities, including Hollywood star Charles Bronson, best known for his roles in The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape, Mexican-American actor Anthony Quinn, famed for starring in Lawrence of Arabia, and Brighton boxer Chris Eubank.
Flora said: “Everybody in Brighton knew Nicos and he had customers from all over England come to the restaurant.”
The steak house has since been taken over and is now a Wolfox coffee shop.
After a knee operation, Nicos began to feel unwell and was taken to hospital and died after multiple cardiac arrests.
“Everyone is in a state of shock - they’ve been so upset,” Flora said.
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She reflected on some of the many happy times they spent together over almost five decades.
“We always used to go out and enjoy ourselves and we used to like Greek music," she said.
“He was always by my side. He had said he had wanted to die first because he didn’t want to live without me.”
A funeral for Nicos will be held on Thursday at the Greek Orthodox Church in Carlton Hill, Brighton, at 11.30am, followed by burial at Hove Cemetery.
Nicos’ family has urged people to make a donation to the British Heart Foundation in his memory.
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