AFR-SUDAN-L Archives

From: "Quest" <>
Subject: [AFR-SUDAN] PETMEZAKI
Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2003 21:22:48 -0500

Message
----- Original Message -----
From: Nobie
To:
Sent: Friday, October 03, 2003 12:03 PM
Subject: PETMEZAKI



Denis Petmezaki, now in his seventies, is desperate for information on his
father, Demetri Carolumbus Petmezaki. Demetri was born in October 1895 in
Ephesus, Asia Minor. Demetri left Ephesus and travelled to the Sudan. At
the age of 17, around 1912, he arrived in Omdurman and opened his first
company 'Dem Petmezaki and Co. He then set up the Sudan American Produce
Company Inc. SAPCO. He set about creating distributing offices in Hamburg,
Paris, Marseille and Trieste.

In 1920 Demetri went back to Ephesus to rescue his mother and two brothers,
Kosti (Constantine) who was two years older than Demetri and Spiro who was
two years younger than Demetri. Demetri brought them to Omdurman and placed
Spiro in charge of Dem Petmezaki & Co. Demetri then set up SAPCO London,
also SAPCO New York, so you see, there may be connections with Hamburg,
Paris, Marseille, Trieste, London & now New York.

Demetri met Florence Gaisford, born 1907, they married in London on 12 July
1928. She was 21, he was 33yrs. They returned to Khartoum, had two
children, Daphne Anne was born on 26 September 1929 & Denis Charles
Petmezaki on 18 July 1931. In September 1939 Britain declared war on
Germany, so the children were sent to board at St Michaels Convent. Sadly
Florence & Demetri divorced in 1942 & the children never saw or heard from
their father again.

Demetri also spent time in Kano, Brazzaville, Chad & Niger as well as
Ethiopia where he had hundreds of acres of coffee trees. His love for Sudan
was well known, he travelled the world but always returned to his home, The
Sudan. Even though his last address was, Demetri Petmezaki, P O Box 16, Kano
Nigeria. El-Obeid Anglo Egyption Sudan 2nd Sept, 1943, we have always felt
he would have returned to Sudan.

As Demetri's official religion was Greek Orthodox, we have written to the
Greek authorities there, hoping they could give us information. We have been
searching for over two years, his son Denis would just like to go to his
grave, knowing where he fathers remains are buried.

We do hope you will be able to help us, if not, perhaps you could advise me,
or suggest where next I might try. Thank you so much for your time, we very
much appreciate that.

Nobie Spice




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• [AFR-SUDAN] PETMEZAKI by "Quest" <>