Helen Stam
ONEONTA – Helen Stam, age 96, a life-long resident of Oneonta,
NY, died peacefully at home on June 17, 2020, surrounded by her
loved ones after a long battle with Parkinson’s.
Helen was born on Sept. 16, 1923, to the late Harry G. and Mary
N. Lambros (Zaharis) at Fox Hospital. She graduated from
Oneonta High School in 1941.
For over 50 years, Helen assisted her father, and later her
brother George, with
day-to-day operations of Diana Restaurant, a well-known eatery
in Oneonta for 70 years. She retired in 1991 when George
sold the business.
Helen married Sam T. Stam in 1954 at the Greek Orthodox Church
in Binghamton. Sam was a Sales Manager at LaMonica
Beverages for over 30 years. After he retired in 1985, he
and Helen enjoyed many great years with their family and
friends, traveling to Greece, Florida, and many other places.
Sam died in 2001 from Alzheimer’s complications.
Helen is survived by her son, Nicholas (Linda); daughter,
Stephanie (Gunter) Steege; stepdaughter-in-law, Carol Stam; her
brother, Nick (Sharon) Lambros; her sister-in-law, Mary Lambros;
her grandsons, Christopher Stam, Gregory Stam, Alex Steege,
Nikolas Steege, and Darle Stam. She is also survived by
many dear nieces and nephews.
Helen is predeceased by her husband, Sam T. Stam; stepson,
Thomas (Carol) Stam; brother, George Lambros; sister, Angie
Bertuzzi; brothers-in-law, Sam Bertuzzi and Nick Farmakis, and
sister-in-law, Mary Farmakis.
In addition to being a dedicated and loving mother, Helen
enjoyed get-togethers with friends and family, playing bridge,
tackling New York Times Sunday crosswords, catching the latest
movies, and watching ballgames at Damaschke Field. She
dearly loved her grandchildren, hosting many cookouts and
outdoor games in her big backyard at her home.
Helen will be deeply missed by family, friends, and all who knew
her.
|
Nikolaos Caravasos
Nikolaos Caravasos, fondly known also as Nick and Nikos, was
both a proud Greek and a proud American. Born on 28 February
1938 in the village of Zoupena, Greece, nestled between two
small
hills at the foot of Mt. Parnonas, in the heart of the
Peloponnese near Sparta, he spent his childhood growing up there
and also in the nearby village of Tsintzina. Nick lived through
World War II and saw the Germans destroy his village and then
also through the Civil War in Greece that followed which was
perhaps even worse, and he authored a book in both Greek and
English entitled "Recollections of Survival." Ravaged by the
effects of the war, his family came to America for a better
life.
Nick's family had to struggle to make a life for themselves in
West Virginia where they had settled, so he worked from when he
was a boy and learned the value of an honest living. Despite
those difficulties, Nick wanted to pursue a higher education and
reached for the stars in life, and he was the first in his
family to finish college. He graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical
Engineering from the University of West Virginia and
subsequently also earned a Masters in Management and
Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Nick worked for almost 40 years for The Boeing Company and held
a managerial position designing commercial and military
aircrafts. Following his retirement from Boeing, Nick continued
his career as a consultant for the Department of Defense at the
Pentagon.
Nick met the one and only love of his life, Maria
Papaspiridakou, when he was a boy in Greece and loved her ever
since during the many, many decades together. Even after he came
to America, they continued to keep in touch as she grew up in
Greece and went to law school there. They ultimately married in
Sparta, Greece in 1962, and she then joined him in the United
States. Even though they lived the most wonderful life in the
U.S. for 56 1/2 years together, they loved Greece just as much
and continued to return every summer and sailed to dozens and
dozens of islands through the years, finally settling on their
beloved island of Chios that became like a second home.
Nick had a tremendous love for life and could dance the Sirtaki
with the best of them. He loved traveling throughout Europe,
open sea swimming and sailing in the Aegean Sea, gardening, and
baking his own bread. He was also the kind of person who always
went out of his way to help everyone, even beyond his means.
Nick is survived by his wife of more than five and a half
decades of the happiest years of their lives, Maria Caravasos,
as well as his brother, George Karras. Nick is also survived by
his daughter, NiaLena Caravasos, who is a federal and white
collar criminal defense attorney in Philadelphia, and of whom he
was most proud and would always tell people about. His life and
legacy and indelible spirit live on in them and in the countless
people who loved him.
|