Ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Αμερικής Δημήτριος θα τελέσει την κηδεία του Άθενς – Last Salute to Andy Athens – Μηνύματα για την εκδημία του Άθενς
Συλλυπητήριο μήνυμα ΥΦΥΠΕΞ Κ.Τσιάρα για την απώλεια του Άντριου Άθενς
Με ιδιαίτερη οδύνη πληροφορηθήκαμε την απώλεια του πρώτου και επί 11 συναπτά έτη Προέδρου του Συμβουλίου Απόδημου Ελληνισμού Άντριου Άθενς.
Ο εκλιπών υπήρξε πρωτεργάτης και κορυφαία φυσιογνωμία στην διαδικασία οργάνωσης και εκπροσώπησης του Οικουμενικού Ελληνισμού, με ιδιαίτερα εξέχουσα και μακροχρόνια παρουσία στους κόλπους της Ομογένειας των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών, αποτελώντας φωτεινό παράδειγμα δημιουργικότητας, επιτυχίας και προσφοράς προς την πατρίδα και τους ομογενείς μας.
Η επί σειρά ετών στενή και αγαστή συνεργασία του Άντριου Άθενς με τις Υπηρεσίες του Υπουργείου Εξωτερικών στο πλαίσιο των δραστηριοτήτων του Συμβουλίου Απόδημου Ελληνισμού, η μεγαλοφροσύνη, η προσήνεια και η ανεπιτήδευτη ευγένειά του θα μείνουν χαραγμένες στη μνήμη μας για πάντα.
Εκ μέρους όλων όσων συνεργάστηκαν μαζί του όλα αυτά τα χρόνια και εμού προσωπικώς, θα ήθελα να εκφράσω τα θερμότατα συλλυπητήριά μας στην οικογένειά του.
The passing of an extraordinary Hellene:
Last Salute to Andy Athens
LOS ANGELES – March 14, 2013 – For Immediate Release
By Penny Adamopoulos / AHC
Early this morning, at his home in Chicago, Illinois, Andrew A. Athens (Andreas Athanasoulas) passed away in his sleep at the age of 91.
In addition to his extraordinary success as a major steel industry magnate of the mid-western United States, as Chairman of Metron Steel, and as the cherished head of a close and loving family. Andy Athens epitomized what is best about Hellenism and Orthodoxy.
His outstanding service to the Greek Community and the Orthodox Church placed him among the leading figures of the Greek Diaspora.
Andrew Athens is an example of a man of vision, commitment and self-sacrifice that knows how to inspire and lead in struggles for the defense of the rights of the Greeks. He has approached each endeavor in his life with total commitment and hard work always tireless and lively characterized by his unwavering faith to his ideals and goals. Essentially all who knew Andy found his intelligence, sincerity, charm and dedication to his family, his heritage and his country unsurpassed. Without exaggeration, Andy Athens’ accomplishments for Hellenism and Orthodoxy are incomparable.
He was widely seen as the unquestionable leader of the millions of Greeks living outside of Greece. This stemmed mostly from his being the first and longest tenured President of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE). Additionally he is well-known for his singlehandedly creating health clinics in the Hellenic areas of the Republics of Albania, Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine. Medical experts estimate that these clinics saved the lives of many thousands of patients, who would otherwise have had no high quality medical treatment.
Following the request of the Greek Orthodox Archbishop Iakovos, Andy Athens undertook the daunting task of channeling our Greek-American national community’s strength toward America’s leading foreign policymakers. Subsequently, every US President and leader in the US Senate and House of Representatives came to cherish Andy and value his council on Hellenic and Orthodox matters. The countries of Greece and Cyprus and the Ecumenical Patriarchate all materially benefited from the improved American policy that resulted from Andy’s efforts.
Andy Athens left his indelible mark as well on the Greek Orthodox Church. For over a decade, Andy was the lay head of the Archdiocesan Council of the Greek Orthodox Church in America. He was a founder of Orthodox Christian Charities, a multi-million dollar NGO that distributes goods to the needy worldwide; a founder of Leadership 100, the 88 million dollar foundation created to further Orthodoxy and Hellenism; and he twice chaired the Clergy-Laity Congress, a gathering of the priests and lay leaders from the 545 Greek Orthodox Churches across America, to name just three of his major accomplishments in this field.
Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1922, Andy spent his early years there. He left college, against his father’s wishes, to defend America and the free world against Hitler’s Axis Forces. Andy explained that he was simply following his father’s example, a man who left the safety of America to return to Greece to fight in the Balkan wars where he was wounded. Following Andy’s fighting in North Africa and while leading troops to a rendezvous in Belgium, Andy asked for directions at the home of a lovely Belgium girl named Louise. This young army-boxing champion returned on his motorcycle the next day, began dating Louise and was married within that year. They were happily married for 67 years.
Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced when finalized.
AHEPA Mourns Passing of
Global Hellenic Community Leader Andrew A. Athens
Supreme President Dr. John Grossomanides has issued the following statement on the sad news of the passing of Ahepan Andrew A. Athens, a global leader of the Hellenic community, who died today in Chicago:
“The members of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association mourn the passing of Life Member Andrew Athens, a true pillar of global Hellenism, a highly-decorated World War Two veteran, an unwavering community activist, ardent philanthropist, and a successful businessman who truly realized and fulfilled the American Dream.
“Brother Athens will be sorely missed by all Hellenes as his kind and benevolent charitable work touched the lives of many people around the world. His legacy will live on through the several organizations he founded and led in support of Hellenism and Orthodoxy worldwide as well as in the many individuals he inspired. We are proud to have called him a Brother Ahepan.
“Our deepest sympathies are with the family of Andrew Athens. May his memory be eternal.”
Brother Athens, a life member of Chapter 46, Chicago, received the AHEPA Archbishop Iakovos Humanitarian Award in 1998 and the AHEPA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. He was 91.
MHNYMA ΔΡ.ΟΛΓΑΣ ΣΑΡΑΝΤΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΠΩΛΕΙΑ ΤΟΥ
ΕΠΙΤΙΜΟΥ ΠΡΟΕΔΡΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΣΑΕ ΑΝΔΡΕΑ Α. ΑΘΕΝΣ
Με βαθειά λύπη πληροφορηθήκαμε την απώλεια του Ανδρέα Α.´Αθενς.
Η Ομογένεια απανταχού της γης θρηνεί τον χαμό του “Πατέρα του Αποδήμου Ελληνισμού”, ενός μεγάλου Πατριώτη, ενός ακούραστου Αγωνιστή για την Ελλάδα, την Κὐπρο και την Ορθοδοξία, ενός ξεχωριστού Φιλανθρώπου, που πράγματι έζησε το Αμερικανικό Όνειρο.
Ο Ανδρέας Άθενς θα λείψει σε όλους τους ´Ελληνες και Φιλέλληνες του κόσμου. Το φιλανθρωπικό του έργο άγγιξε τις καρδιές πολλών ανθρώπων και ιδιαίτερα εκείνων στίς χώρες της πρώην Σοβιετικής ´Ενωσης, στην Αλβανία κ.α., όπου με την ίδρυση των Ιατρικών Κέντρων υπό την αιγίδα του ΣΑΕ βοήθησε να επουλωθούν οι πληγές εκατοντάδων χιλιάδων ανθρώπων.
Ως πρώτος Πρόεδρος του ΣΑΕ την χρονική περίοδο 1995-2006 και ως επίτιμος Πρόεδρος του ΣΑΕ από το 2006 είχε στόχο ζωής: να ενώσει και να ενδυναμώσει τον Απόδημο Ελληνισμό.
Με πίστη και αφοσίωση ακολούθησε τις αξίες του Ελληνισμού, μεταλαμπαδεύοντάς τες με πάθος σε όλους εμάς που ειχαμε την τιμή να συνεργαστούμε με αυτήν την εξέχουσα Προσωπικότητα και ιδίως με τον ´Ανθρωπο Ανδρέα Α.´Αθενς.
Τα θερμά μου συλλυπητήρια στην σύζυγό του Λουίζ και την οικογένεια του.
Αιωνία του η μνήμη
Δρ.Όλγα Σαραντοπούλου
Γραμματέας ΣΑΕ
Πρόεδρος Ελληνικής Εταιρείας Αυστρίας
MESSAGE OF DR.OLGA SARANTOPOULOS ON THE PASSING OF
HONORARY PRESIDENT OF SAE ANDREW A.ATHENS
Vienna, March 15, 2013
With deeply sadness we have beein informed of the passing of beloved “Father of Hellenism abroad” Andrew Athens. The Diaspora all over the world mourn the loss of a great Patriot, a tireless Fighter for Hellas, Cyprus and the Orthodoxy, an ardent Philanthropist who realized his American Dream. Andrew Athens will be sorely missed by αll Hellenes and Philhellenes round the globe.
His benevolent charitable work touched the hearts of many people, especially in the countries of the former Soviet Union, in Albania a.o.,where his Medical Centers under the auspices of SAE helped to heal the wounds of hundreds of thousands of people.
As First President of SAE for the period 1995-2006 and as Honorary President since 2006, he made his life’s goal to unite and strengthen Hellenism.
With strong faith and commitment he foIlowed the values of Hellenism, transmitting them with passion to all of us, who had the honour to work at the side of this outstanding Personality and especially of the Man Andrew.A.Athens.
My sincere and deepest sympathies are with his wife Louise and all his family.
May his memory be eternal.
Dr.Olga Sarantopoulos
Secretary of World SAE
President of the Hellenic Society of Austria
ΜΗΝΥΜΑΤΑ
Δήλωση του πρώην υφυπουργού Εξωτερικών, αρμόδιου για θέματα Απόδημου Ελληνισμού, Δημήτρη Δόλλη, για την απώλεια του Ανδρέα Άθενς:http://omogeneia.ana-mpa.gr/press.php?id=20330
Δήλωση του πρώην υφυπουργού Εξωτερικών, αρμόδιου για θέματα Απόδημου Ελληνισμού, καθηγητή Παναγιώτη Σκανδαλάκη, για το θάνατο του Ανδρέα Άθενς:http://omogeneia.ana-mpa.gr/press.php?id=20331
Δήλωση του πρώην προέδρου ΣΑΕ Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών, Θεόδωρου Σπυρόπουλου, για τη θάνατο του Άντριου Άθενς:http://omogeneia.ana-mpa.gr/press.php?id=20332
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