Athena Coutavas

Athena Coutavas

Norfolk - Athena "Enie" Coutavas, 84 years young, passed away peacefully at her home on Tuesday, April 5, 2016. She was a lively and lovely person, cherished by multiple generations of her Greek Orthodox community, East Lynne neighborhood, previous work associations, and blessed friendships. Although every inch a lady, she reveled in the give and take with her boys where her dry wit was employed to humble, cajole, and prod the boys from nine to ninety. It was always an uneven match; but there were never any losers.

As a beloved den mother at 7622 Leafwood Drive, she followed in the footsteps (and foodsteps) of her Mother, Coula, and Aunt, Kevy, dispensing her special brand of Greek hospitality served with an acerbic chaser. Enie adored her mother and missed her terribly over the last ten years. Like her mother who was simply Coula to the world, she was simply Enie to young and old. Nothing would please her more than to be thought a continuing incarnation of her Mother.

In her pre-retirement years, she worked for over four decades for a core group of attorneys that started with Amato, Babalas, and Breit. While there, she held a number of positions including bookkeeper, office manager, and receptionist. Performing the latter job, she would be typically multi-tasked: switching calls to a number of attorneys while also simultaneously befriending and entertaining children of clients, and educating the younger attorneys in the way of the professional world. After retirement she remained an honorary member of the firm- and remained fiercely proud of the younger staff who became partners. Loyalty to friends never became too old-fashioned; and it was not unusual for her to receive calls from co-workers of 25 years past.

Remembering was something that Enie did very well: from recalling 16 digit international telephone numbers to remembering all the genealogical relationships of families in her mother's home village; who lived next to whom; and who emigrated where. These were recollections from visits to Greece in the fifties and sixties- a feat possible only through her continuing love and interest in her Greek roots. She claimed that hers was a special love based on the fact that-although she was born in America, she was mathematically convinced that she had been conceived in Greece. Stories like this underscore the charm of this lady and although our hearts hurt today, we are reminded that you never walked away from an encounter with Enie without feeling your heart smile.

A funeral service will be conducted at 11:00AM on Today, April 8th in the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral with the Rev.Fr. George Bessinas and Rev. Fr. Constantine Rogakos officiating. Burial will follow in the Forest Lawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral. H. D. Oliver Funeral Apts., Norfolk Chapel is handling arrangements. Online condolences may be made at www.hdoliver.com.