Sarantos Hardaloupas

In 2002, you got diagnosed with lung cancer and the doctors only gave you 6 months but you defied the odds and embraced life for another 23 years. This time, you couldn’t avoid fate, but how grateful we are for all that extra time with you.

Sarantos Hardaloupas was born in Magganitis, Ikaria on December 23 rd , 1950 to Apostolos and Julia Hardaloupas. Always a bit rebellious, he played pranks with his friends and later became the village hippie in the ’60s. When he was living in Athens, he was part of the famous youth protest against the junta at the Πολυτεχνειο in 1973. His adventurous life continued when he started working on the ships, like many Kariotes before him, going from the North Sea down to Egypt.

One summer, on break from working the ships, he returned back to Magganiti and was walking up from the γιαλός just as a young woman was walking down. As he liked to joke, it was like he was struck by lightning; that young woman was Marianthy Kotsores, and they began their whirlwind romance. She left Chicago to be with him, and within six months, they were married.

They settled in Perama where they had a son Apostoli in ‘81 and a daughter, Anna in ‘83. With the economic situation in Greece worsening, Marianthy and Saranto made the decision to move to the United States to give their children more opportunities. They settled in Oak Lawn, where he got a job doing painting construction at various companies owned by Kariotes.

At 51, after having a persistent cough, Sarantos went to the doctor where he was diagnosed with lung cancer. With his calm nature and positive disposition, he fought the disease without ever giving in to despair—and he beat it. Cancer could have taken him from us too soon, his children still in their teens, and early twenties. Instead, he got to see his kids graduate college, get married, and have children of their own (his 3rd grandchild got to meet him in the nick of time!). He was able to grow older, go to Ikaria every summer, and travel to 6 continents with his wife. He always said he was lucky to have those extra 23 years, but we were just as lucky.

Sarantos is survived by his wife, Marianthy, children Apostolis (Vicky) and Anna (Evangelos) Hardaloupas, and grandchildren Eva, Marko, and Ariadne. He is also survived by his siblings, Kosta Hardaloupas, Sofia Schaefer, and George Hardaloupas, as well as many nieces and nephews.

They say that grief is love that has nowhere to go, and we will miss you so much and think of you all the time. The way you were always positive even when facing multiple illnesses, never giving up. The way you took advantage of all the extra time you got by doing what you enjoyed with the people you cared about. We will think of you most of all in your beloved Ikaria, in the deep blue Aegean water, where you loved going fishing in your boat or swimming around looking for πατελίδία. Our favorite Ψαρά, now and forever. All arrangement entrusted to Orrico Kourelis Funeral Services Inc.