George Kaye Katsoris

Class of 2009

George Kaye Katsoris was born into the candy business, growing up to turn the ice cream parlor his father opened in 1911 into a state-of-the-art, 200,000-square-foot facility that holds the current factory and offices of Supreme Chocolatier. He was born in Staten Island, NY, on April 28, 1921, to Emmanuel and Katherine Katsoris. By this time, his father was already running his own business manufacturing ice cream and chocolates, which George would develop into Supreme Chocolatiers in 1946. Constantly working to improve the category, George is a founder of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, and a member of the Candy Executive’s Club of New York. He was also a member of the National Association of Candy Manufacturers. He has earned the 50 Year Membership Award from the Philadelphia Candy Association, as well as earning Export Achievement recognition from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Active in his community, George is a founder of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association and the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church and Cultural Center. He also helped establish and served as chairman for the Gateway State Commercial Bank, and received the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Award, as well as the Anthony G. Gaeta Democrat Club’s Humanitarian Community Activist Award. He has served as a member of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, and is a benefactor to the New York City Park Department Carousel, the Greenbelt Conservation Nature Center, the Staten Island Botanical Gardens and the Staten Island Borough Hall restoration. He says the biggest factor in his success as a confectioner has been having the courage and the ability to introduce new products to the industry. He insists that success requires being innovative and maintaining product integrity, even with ever-changing technologies. George and his wife of 57 years, Evangeline, still live in Staten Island. He has a daughter, Melanie, and two sons, Michael and George, who work with him at Supreme Chocolatier.

George passed away October 30, 2015.