Nicolas George Charalambous

Nicolas George Charalambous, 95, of Ormond Beach, FL passed away peacefully on the morning of December 24, 2024. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Karin (Doll) Charalambous and his parents Eleni and George Charalambous. Nicolas is survived by his son, Nicolas, Jr. of Merritt Island, Florida and his granddaughter Alysia and step-grandson Tyler Falscroft; daughter Elena and her husband James Fingerle of Ormond Beach, Florida and grandson Nicholas of Brunswick, Maryland.
Nicolas was born on August 4, 1929 the 5th of 11 children in Trachoni, Cyprus. He specifically wanted to honor his siblings by listing them as part of his life story: Kostas, Haralambos, Andreas, Kalisteni, Keriacos, Michael, Soteris, Frangou, Maroulla, and the youngest, Panayiotis. Throughout his life he would talk of his love for his mother who kept their family together during very hard times in their small village. At the very young age of 12 he left home to apprentice as a mason. As harsh as it sounds, he had to go to work to help support the family. At 23, in search of a better life, he immigrated to the United States on a ship called the Independence. On his first day in the US, speaking very little English, he navigated NYC via the subway system to arrive at a restaurant to wash dishes – his first job in his new country. Nick eventually joined the Bricklayer's Union, and formed a construction contracting business with his brothers Andrew and Pete called A, N & P. Shortly later he and Pete formed N & P Contracting, a highly successful general contractor/remodeling business that counted among its clients such luminaries as Diane Keaton, Bette Midler, Mandy Patinkin, and director Peter Yates. Nick, a talented tile setter worked on multiple projects during the creation of the World's Fair in Flushing, NY in 1964 and the World Trade Center.
Nick met his future wife, Karin, in a night school class where they were learning English and fell in love. They married in 1957 on the day Nick became a naturalized citizen. Nick and Karin settled in College Point, NY, eventually moved to Florida for a year in 1974, then moved to Pomona in Rockland County, NY before retiring in Florida, first in Spring Hill, and later in Ocala. After 67 years of marriage, his beautiful wife Karin's passed in February 2024, and a heart-broken Nick relocated in Ormond Beach to live with his daughter.
Family was Nick's primary focus throughout life. There were countless family barbeques, holiday gatherings, and Easter celebrations where Greek food, especially lamb was served. When asked how he explained his good health, he would talk of olives, olive oil, wine and the Mediterranean diet. Closeness to family continued even when he moved to Florida in retirement; he could often be found on the phone with his brothers, sister, nieces and nephews.
Nick loved baseball and as a proud New Yorker, the Mets were his team. Later in Florida, he followed the Tampa Bay Rays watching their games nightly. In retirement, new interests and talents emerged. Nick and Karin, as it turns out, were excellent bowlers and they led their teams to multiple championships. Nick was a good golfer and a league member in both Spring Hill and Ocala. Nick had many golfing highlights such as the trips to Myrtle Beach, but perhaps the most memorable was his hole-in-one in 1992.
Nick and Karin were lifelong dancers who loved to travel. They traversed the world on planes, cruise ships, chartered bus tours and by car visiting Cyprus, Germany, England, Switzerland, Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii, NW Canada and Nova Scotia. They visited the US SW including New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and California; the NW including National Parks in Montana and Wyoming; and the east coast especially the beaches of the Carolinas. They white-water rafted in Glacier National Park after trekking the Athabasca glacier in Banff, often visited family in California, Minnesota, Maryland, New York and Maine, and explored Florida from the Keys to the panhandle.
Nicolas led a full and often exciting life and asked to be remembered for the family and friends he impacted.