- Date Of Death: August 11, 2013
- State: Connecticut
Konstantine “Dino” Koutroumanis, 99, of Orange, beloved father and pappou, passed away peacefully on August 11, 2013 surrounded by his loving family. He was the widower of Eleni Kotsaftis Koutroumanis.
Dino was born in Lapanagi, Greece on January 20, 1914, son of the late Gregory and Eleni Fakou Koutroumanis.
While in Greece he proudly served in the Greek National Army during World War II from 1939 – 1944 where he fought alongside the Allies for Freedom and Democracy. After WW II he fought in the Greek Civil War from 1947 – 1949 to help liberate Greece from the Communist regime. He immigrated to the United States in 1955 with his eldest son, Gregory and settled in Waterbury. In 1958 he was joined by the rest of his family; his wife, Eleni, sons Anthony and George and daughters Penny and Vicky.
After his retirement he was a daily fixture at his sons’ establishment, Yorkside Pizza Restaurant in New Haven, where he was lovingly known as “Pappou” to everyone who worked there. In the early morning he helped prepare the food at the restaurant and when he finished he would be seen taking his daily 3 mile walk around YaleUniversity and the New Haven Green. In the winter months he traveled to Palm Harbor, FL, living with his son Gregory and his daughter-in-law Marcia, , where he continued his daily walks. Above everything else, Dino loved his children and their spouses, and adored his grandchildren, their spouses, and his great-grandchildren. He was an extremely devout Greek Orthodox Christian, an avid reader; and enjoyed walking and gardening.
He is survived by his loving children, Gregory Koutroumanis and his wife Marcia of Palm Harbor, FL, Anthony Koutroumanis and his wife Maria of Orange, Penny Pecka and her husband Richard of Waterbury, Vicky Vagenas and her husband George of Orange, and George Koutroumanis and his wife Nota of Woodbridge; 9 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Besides his wife Eleni and his parents, he is predeceased by his brothers, Anthony, Panayiotis, and Vasilios Koutroumanis and his sister Golfo Dousmanis.
The family would like to thank the Shady Knoll Nursing Home and the VITAS nursing staff for the diligent and compassionate support they provided to Dino throughout the past 5 months.
