Serafim S. Nikopoulos was born in Viniani, Evrytanias on December 3rd, 1914 to Sotirios Vasiliou Nikopoulos and Ekaterini Triantogianni. He had two brothers: Apostolis and Georgios. After fulfilling his military obligations in the mid 1930's, Serafim married Eleni Bisbikis (May 18th, 1922-Jan. 7, 2020) on October 10th, 1943 in Viniani. Eleni was the daughter of Georgios Bisbikis and Politimi Mitsogiannis. They had 3 children: Ekaterini (1944-2013), Panagiotis born in 1946, and Georgios born in 1950.

Serafim spent his early years in Greece farming and maintaining livestock, the meat from which he sold for additional income. During World War II, he was conscripted back into military service, where he served in Albania until 1943. After the war, he and many others endured the hardships of the Greek Civil War of 1946-1949. In October of 1968, Serafim with his wife Eleni and son Georgios immigrated to Charlotte, NC at the invitation & sponsorship of his brother Apostoli. He was reunited with his family which included his daughter Ekaterini and her husband Kostas, who had arrived in the United States in 1962. His son Panagiotis joined them in Charlotte the following year after fulfilling his military obligations in Greece. Serafim and Eleni would make several trips back to Greece, with their final one in 1982. He was present in America when his son Panagiotis married in 1973, and his son Georgios married in 1975. “Papou Serafim” (as he was affectionately known) was an avid fan of wrestling, and never missed a televised match if he could help it. While in Greece, he had served as president of New Viniani in the first years that it was established as a community. He was a gentle, passionate man that thrived on love throughout his life, was blessed in achieving the American Dream, and─along with his wife Eleni─was at the heart of many cherished memories that his family will forever treasure. ADDENDUM

On Georgios Bisbikis, Eleni's father Georgios Bisbikis (Eleni's father) came to America in 1910 and made his way to Knoxville, Tennessee, where his brother Christos Bisbikis was already established. He would then return to Greece, only to once again immigrate to America in 1914, until finally settling in Greece in 1919-1920, where he married Politimi Mitsogianni. His daughter Eleni was 6 months old when Georgios was killed in the the Asia Minor war in 1922. Eleni's mother remarried to Kostas Bakogiannis, who was from Viniani. Politimi passed away in 1983.