Arthur Cassanos

1928 - 2020

CASSANOS, Arthur, 92, a longtime resident of the Richmond area, died after a short illness on Thursday, November 26, 2020, at The Hermitage in Richmond, Va. Art was born in Woburn, Mass., on September 17, 1928. His family moved to Newark, N.J. when he was 10. Art attended Weequahic High School in Newark and graduated from Fairleigh Dickenson University in 1952. He served in the Army from 1946 to 1947 in the 35th Infantry, 25th Division and was stationed in Mizarou, Japan. Art married Agnes Ann Reilly in Hillside, New Jersey, in August 1950. They raised a family in Scotch Plains, N.J., Fairfax, Va. and Richmond, Va. He lost his beloved wife, Agnes, in March 2017, after 66 years of marriage. He is survived by his son, Arthur P. Cassanos; daughters, Ellen Cassanos and Laura Cassanos; as well as two grandsons, Christopher C. Cosby and Howard T. Miller. He was predeceased by his parents, Harilaos (Harry) D. Cassanos and Vasiliki (Bessie) Govostes; his sisters, Helen Cassanos Pearce and Mary Cassanos Peene; and his three brothers, James, William and Eugene Cassanos. Art was the child of Greek immigrants and was very proud of his Greek heritage. For many years he donated the fuel needed to operate the refrigerator trucks at the Richmond Greek Festival at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church. Arthur and Agnes loved to travel and their favorite destinations were Greece, Ireland and Italy. Art was an avid sports fan. He played tennis well into his late seventies and would beat players 20 years his junior. He played basketball when he was younger and continued to shoot hoops in the backyard later in life. Art was a longtime member of the Westwood Club, served on the board for several years and pushed to integrate the tennis club. Arthur worked for Mobil Oil Corporation and later was the owner of Colonial Fuel Oil in Mechanicsville, Va., for over 40 years. He continued running the family business until age 84 and then went into the office part-time for several years. Art always put his family first and was willing to help others in need. Family members would like to thank the staff of The Hermitage, Senior Bridges and At Home Hospice for their care and support. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the American Heart Association in Arthur's name or the Alzheimer's Association in Agnes' name. Due to COVID-19 restrictions a memorial service will be held at a later date.