The Niagara Falls Reporter regrets to inform its readers of the passing of John Prozeralik, the well-known restaurateur and businessman of this city.
He died Sunday on his 90th birthday.
Last week we reported that a dinner in his honor was to be held at the Como restaurant on Aug 27.
As a result of Prozeralik's demise, the Spirit of Niagara Award dinner in his honor is canceled.
While known best for his famous steakhouse John's Flaming Hearth, Prozeralik owned the former Schraft's Motor Lodge, the Hotel Niagara, the former Parkway Inn, The Days Inn on Buffalo Ave, the United Office Building, the Best Western on Buffalo Ave., a tour company, Niagara Airlines, 100 Stuckey's Restaurants throughout the country, Frontier Beef, the Engine House Restaurant in Batavia, and other businesses, which he bought and sold and lost sometimes to foreclosure over a splendid career. While he won and lost fortunes for himself, Prozeralik never lost any private investor's money; he used to pride himself by saying, as he told the Reporter many times, asking anyone to verify the truth of his claim.
For my part I was once in business with John for a brief time in 2004, working side by side with him to save two of his hotels.
We did not succeed but worked together day by day, and odd it was indeed, that despite his having several dozen employees, John himself would sweep and clean and cook the food. He was all over and everywhere doing the most menial jobs.
For that brief time we worked together he was a great friend, a kind and loving man. |