Gust Kostopulos, 95, who with his late brother owned and operated the former Green Derby restaurant in West Toledo, died Sunday in Serenity Gardens of Sylvania.

The cause of death was not known. He had been living in Serenity Gardens since 2007.

Mr. Kostopulos became the chef in the restaurant at Sylvania Avenue and Monroe Street after it was opened in 1949 by his parents, Nikolas and Anna Kostopulos, who immigrated to this country from Tripoli, Greece, at the turn of the century.

After their father retired in 1958, Mr. Kostopulos and his brother, James Kostopulos, took over the Green Derby. However, their mother continued working at the restaurant until 1975.

"The boys worked hard, but they enjoyed it. They loved meeting all those people. It gave them a good living even though they worked hard," said Johanna Kostopulos, a sister who also helped in the restaurant.

In its early days, the Green Derby was open from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. and sometimes until 2:30 a.m. every day except Christmas and Thanksgiving. Later, its hours were shortened to 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The menu included breakfast foods, sandwiches, sirloin steaks, pork chops, chicken, and hot dogs.

Miss Kostopulos said the restaurant had many loyal customers, and some people tell her that they that cannot drive past the intersection without thinking about the Green Derby. "It was just one big happy family. I miss the people who use to come there. They had been coming there for years," she said.

The brothers closed the restaurant in 1990, and it eventually was torn down and replaced by another business. James Kostopulos died Feb. 13, 2001.

Mr. Kostopulos graduated in 1935 from Woodward High School. His sister said he worked at the Dura Corp. before joining his family in the restaurant.

"I was lucky to have him all these year. He was a good brother. He was a hard worker. He took good care of my parents," Miss Kostopulos said.

James Chengges, a high school classmate, said Mr. Kostopulos and his brother were avid Detroit Tigers fans and often traveled to Detroit to attend games in the old stadium. "He was a good fellow. Both he and his brother liked baseball," he said.

The Kostopulos family belonged to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, where Mr. Kostopulos was a member of the social group, the Young Heart Club. Miss Kostopulos said her brother was an altar boy.

Surviving is his sister, Johanna Kostopulos.

Services are to be Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

The Dowling Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

The family requests tributes to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.

-- Mark Reiter

First Published April 17, 2012, 4:00 a.m.