Joseph J. Karalis

Joe Karalis played his final hand and cashed in his chips on September 17, 2026. He is survived by his three children, John Karalis and his wife, Brie, Arestea Boulay, and Nicholas Karalis and his wife, Mary; his five grandchildren, Chase Boulay, Evan Boulay, Layla Karalis, Sami Karalis, and Giacobbe DiLibero; his siblings, Anna Rossi, Arthur Karalis and his wife, Nora, and George Karalis; nieces and nephews; his former wife Artemis Karalis; and his partner Karen Aliferakis.

It's no secret Joe enjoyed a hand of poker or three, but he wasn't some gambler chasing the thrill of a payoff. The table was an extension of his life; a place where things made sense because it's how he lived.

It's how he had to live.

Joe was born in the rubble of post-nazi occupation, in a small village in the port of Piraeus, Greece. It's a place where survival was above all else, where people had to understand risks and rewards. Everyone was dealt a new hand every day, and you had no choice but to play it.

He learned his work ethic from his father, who strapped blocks of ice to his back and sent him up the mountain to deliver them to empty ice boxes. He had to be fearless and confident right away, because dropping one was not an option. He learned ingenuity and an entrepreneurial spirit, which sometimes combined to lead him to interesting sources of income. Like when he figured out that he could empty a fire extinguishing bin during his time in the Greek navy and use it as storage to become the ship's bartender.

The fellas needed drinks and he needed money. He saw a need, he took a risk, and it paid off.

Joe always talked about traveling the world on ships, starting from his time in the Navy and then commercial vessels. He saw the world, often getting into adventures that, for decorum's sake, we will leave to one's imagination at this point. But he had a story about everything and everywhere.

One of those stories was his first attempt to come to the United States, which he did by jumping ship at the Port of San Francisco. He called his brother to come pick him up, not realizing where he was in the country, or that his brother lived in Rhode Island. Stuck in the Bay Area, Joe should have laid low and carefully plotted his next step.

Instead, he got into a bar fight and got kicked out of the country.

He managed his way back years later, legitimately this time, with very little money in his pocket, but it was enough to make another bet on himself. His brother got him a job at American Insulated Wire, and then he took a job at Kip's Restaurant, both in Pawtucket.

He went back to Greece to get married, and fulfill the promise to bring his wife, Artemis, back with him. They settled on Capital Street, where they rented the third floor of a three-family house.

Joe's tenacity and desire to build things ultimately led him to opening his first pizza place, Pleasant View Pizza, which quickly established him as an expert pizza man. Customers followed him to five locations around Pawtucket and Massachusetts (where it became King's Oak Pizza). Along the way, he catered countless birthday parties, school dances, and team dinners with the best pizza anyone has ever had.

And we need to be clear about this. This isn't just some nice thing to say in someone's memory. Joe Karalis made the best pizza in town, period, full stop. That will never be taken away from him.

At the same time, he went from renting to owning his home, cashing in on the American dream. He started a family, a business, and he owned a home ... and also a motorcycle, a cool van, and a red Trans Am with T-tops, we won't get into the gremlin or the station wagon which had its door ripped off during a frantic pizza delivery to a local factory.

The van made its way to ski mountains, and the motorcycle found its way to beaches. The Trans Am could easily be found at the Slater Park tennis courts, where he played in men's leagues when he got time away from the pizza place.

Of course, every big winning streak tends to be the precursor to a losing streak; and Joe definitely lost plenty of hands in life along the way.

His marriage ended. He gave up the pizza business and became a bus driver (where he earned the nickname "Crash"). But through it all, he was always trying to figure out the next move. He was always trying to read the cards, and figure out which hands needed to fold, and on which he needed to go all in. No matter what the circumstance, he always believed in himself and his ability to figure something out.

It was one of his great strengths, and one of his great weaknesses. It was impossible to get him to buy something that he thought he could make; and he thought he could make everything. His brain was always working, for better or for worse. If he could make something and save a few dollars doing it, that's how it would get done. That was his way of winning. That part of his brain never left the rubble of that village.

It's hard to imagine many human beings going through a bigger transition than Joe did. He went from riding his bike to the center of town to watch the one TV play a grainy soccer game to having a computer in his pocket and a car that tried to give him directions to places he already knew how to get to. All the rules of life changed drastically over Joe's 79 years, but he still tried to play the game the best way he knew how.

He was always willing to take a risk; to bet on himself. He lost plenty of hands, and a few big pots. But he was never out of the game. He always knew he had a seat at the table, and as long as he did, he had a chance to figure something out and get one more win.

We can say The House always wins, because he's not here anymore; but he definitely left ahead.

This is the part where we say "in lieu of flowers please make a donation to..." but we weren't sure who needed the most help. Certainly, the Mashantucket Pequot tribe is the biggest financial loser in all of this, so I'm sure they will accept whatever you want to give. Ultimately, we will let Joe do in death what he did best in life, which is feed people. So please direct any donations to the Rhode Island Food Bank so he can continue to do so.

Joe's Funeral will be held on Saturday, September 26th at 9 a.m. from WILLIAM W. TRIPP Funeral Home, 1008 Newport Ave., Pawtucket, followed by a Funeral Liturgy at 10 a.m. in Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, 97 Walcott St., Pawtucket. Interment will follow at Walnut Hill Cemetery. VISITATION will be held on Friday, September 25th from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the funeral home. www.TrippFuneralHome.com