George Retzos, long

George Retzos, left, talks with then-Syracuse Mayor Roy Bernardi at Columbus Baking Co. on Pearl Street in 1998. Retzos owned the bakery from the 1970s until he retired in 2002. He died Tuesday, June 6. (File photo)

Syracuse, N.Y. — George Retzos, who owned and operated Syracuse's landmark Columbus Baking Co. fo several decades until his retirement in 2002, died Tuesday. He was 94.

Retzos was born in Greece and immigrated to Syracuse in 1948. He immediately went to work at Columbus Baking, which had been established on Pearl Street on the city's North Side in the 1890s. His father, Angelo, also worked there.

George Retzos took over as owner in 1974, When he retired in 2002, he passed ownership on to his son, Jim, who continues to operate it.

Columbus is known for its signature Italian bread, made in several shapes from nothing but enriched flour, water, salt and yeast. The bakery used coal-fired ovens for decades until they were converted to gas in the 1980s.

It's a Syracuse tradition for people to line up for point loaves, flats or other shapes of the bread on big holidays, like Thanksgiving and Easter, but most especially on Christmas Eve.

According to his obituary, "George had a tremendous sense of humor and had a genuine love for people. He was an avid horse racing fan, owning 23 horses at one time. George enjoyed Vernon Downs, soccer, animals, and had a very big heart."

Calling hours are 2 to 5 p.m. today (June 8) at the Thomas J. Pirro Funeral Home, at 3401 Vickery Road in North Syracuse. Services are 11 a.m. Friday at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, at Tecumseh and Waring roads in DeWitt. Read the full obituary.

Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at [email protected], or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.