The passing of an extraordinary Hellene: Last Salute to Andy Athens

Andrew A. Athens with Panagiotis Karousos in New York

LOS ANGELES – March 14, 2013
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.