Katherine "Kay" Tinios

On Thursday, April 17, 2014, Kay Tinios, founding owner and longtime manager of the Galley Hatch Restaurant in Hampton, died at the age of 94. Kay was born Katherine Harritos in Dover on March 2, 1920 to Steve and Lefkey Harritos; Greek immigrants of modest means who came to the United States roughly a century ago. Both of her parents had to work long hours in the mills in order for the family to get by. Her sister Christine, although a year older than her, struggled with childhood illness and Kay, as a result, assumed the role of leader and caretaker among the family’s four children at a young age. She learned to cook, tell time, and act as an interpreter for her parents before she had finished kindergarten. She never resented having had to grow up so fast and credited her drive, independence, work ethic, and sense of familial duty to the experience. Kay’s early life in Dover is where her passion for hospitality began as well. She idolized her mother, Lefkey, whom she always described as a consummate hostess. No matter how little the family may have had, Lefkey was always cooking food for neighbors who had even less. Everyone knew they were welcome in the Harritos household and would come from Rochester and Somersworth to hear Lefkey tell stories and read their fortunes from the grounds left in their coffee cups. Kay often said that there are two kinds of people in the world- hosts and guests- and that she learned from her mother that to be the former was the most rewarding. When she finished high school, Kay took a job waiting tables at Derris Tea Room in downtown Dover where she first learned the old school tenets of customer service and professionalism. In 1944, Kay left Derris Tea Room to take a job as a welder at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard because, as she said, “it was the patriotic thing to do.” When World War II ended, she held jobs with Public Service of New Hampshire and Norton Air Force Base and quickly rose to management positions in both places. In 1953, she moved to California with her fiancée, Mike Tinios, where they married and had their son, John. In 1958, the family moved back to Dover, bought a hot dog truck, and eventually opened a small drive-in restaurant in Portsmouth that they named the Dinnerhorn with Kay’s sister, Christine, and her husband, Chris. Throughout the 1960s, they also owned a sister restaurant in Durham called the Little Horn with Kay’s sister, Helen, and her husband, Jim. After owning and operating the Dinnerhorn and Little Horn for ten years, Kay and Mike sold the business to Kay’s sisters and their husbands and bought a small takeout restaurant on the corner of Route 1 and Winnacunett Road in Hampton. Savory Square opened for business on July 6, 1970. They changed the name of the place to the Galley Hatch about a year later. When John finished high school in 1973, Kay and Mike moved to Bride Hill and became full-fledged members of the Hampton community, meanwhile expanding the building and menu throughout the next two decades. Current and former staff members who worked at the Galley Hatch under Kay remember her as a tough but fair boss who took great pride in every aspect of the restaurant. Her expectations were clear, they say, and as long as you followed the rules, you got along just fine. Even though business was business to Kay, she still cared tremendously about her employees. One waitress remembered that “when the going got tough, she was very compassionate.” Kay estimated that over the years she had probably been to more than a hundred weddings, funerals, and baby showers for people who worked at the Galley Hatch. Customers who frequented the Galley Hatch in the old days invariably describe her as “gracious” and remember her standing at the hostess station to greet everyone who walked through the door. Kay continued to be a significant presence even after she finally retired at age 86. She would frequently make her rounds in the dining rooms and hold court at the end of the bar to catch up with everyone she had gotten to know over the years and to reminisce. To the very end, she loved to entertain and make people laugh. Family was everything to Kay and it was clear that what compelled her in nearly everything she did was her sense of responsibility to care for those she loved. She worked hard to ensure the security and well-being of her relatives in open and subtle ways and never asked for anything in return. She adored her granddaughters, nieces, and nephews and always spoke proudly of her only son, John. Even when John was well into his 50s, Kay would often point to him and remark, “isn’t he adorable?” Kay will be long remembered throughout the seacoast for her hospitality, her generosity, and her sense of humor. Kay is survived by her son, John; her granddaughters, Jessica and Elena; her sister, Helen Boyatsis; her nephews, Paul Kamakas, Steve Boyatsis, and Phil Boyatsis; and her niece, Judy Kamakas Pingree. She was predeceased by her husband, Mike; her sister, Christine Kamakas; and her brother, James Harritos. Visiting hours will be held from 12 Noon -3 P.M. and 5-8 P.M. Sunday, April 27, 2014 at the Remick & Gendron Funeral Home-Crematory, 811 Lafayette Road, Hampton. Services will be held at 11 A.M. Monday, April 28, 2014 at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 93 Locust Street, Dover. Burial will follow in Annunciation Cemetery, Dover. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. The Tinios Family has been a staple in our Hampton community for some forty five years. Beautification, community growth and future development can only further enhance our beloved downtown. In a gesture of kind remembrance for Kay, contributions may be directed to: Experience Hampton, the 2020 Capitol Investment Fund, PO Box 1259, Hampton, NH 03843. Your generosity will help make our special place even more beautiful and, through this expression, our “Kay” mmunity” will truly begin with Kay!

Katherine "Kay" Tinios

March 2, 1920 - April 17, 2014