Manuel George Loupassi

LOUPASSI, Manuel George, of Richmond, passed away on Wednesday, August 25, 2021 after a brief illness. Manuel was born on January 18, 1937, in Souda on the Island of Crete, Greece during a time of world conflict. During the war, his father was executed by the Nazis. From a young age, he developed skills as a salesman and entrepreneur. After graduating high school, he immediately became a merchant seaman. His job was difficult as he toiled in the bowels of an oil tanker, cleaning its engines. He immigrated to the United States in 1957, briefly working in a coal mine. Fate brought him to Richmond at the age of 21, where he took his first job as a dishwasher. Eventually, Manuel opened a restaurant, The Robin Inn. For the next 32 years, Manuel and Carol, his beloved life partner and wife, were the heart and soul of a Richmond restaurant institution, Carol managing the front and Manuel lording over the kitchen. The restaurant was open six days a week and every day, every minute that it was open, both spouses were there working and enjoying their lives together. At the end of every evening, he was the last person to exit the kitchen after he mopped the floor. In 1995, on his last day of work at the Robin Inn, Manuel dutifully mopped the floor one last time, handed the keys of the Robin Inn to his daughter, Niki and never worked another day at the restaurant. As Manuel ran his restaurant, he began to buy rental properties. Manuel insisted on doing his own maintenance work. He installed hot water heaters, repaired toilets, sinks and leaking pipes, repaired walls, painted and polyurethaned countless wooden floors. He did these things up until the end of his 84 years. When he collapsed at home last week, he was getting ready for work to go fix a leaking pipe. Manuel's philanthropy was quiet, but broad, based on his belief in the importance of his church, education, the arts, museums, helping people in recovery and helping the less fortunate. Manuel spent the last 35 years of his life either running or walking. In his 50s, he ran numerous 10ks. At the age of 60, he travelled to Athens, Greece to run the one and only marathon in his life. He was a torch bearer for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. In his later years, he traversed the Fan District every day on his 10,000-step quest. He very rarely, if ever, missed his daily step count. He knew where all the best fruit trees were in the Fan and was known from time to time to pilfer one for refreshment during his sojourn. Manuel was a staunch lover of America and its ideals of freedom, brotherhood and equality. He was a Freemason of Metropolitan Lodge 11, on the Parish Council of Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, Ahepa, The Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 and past president of the local Pancretan Society. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Loupassi, who has been his partner and right hand for his entire adult life; by three children, who he loved and cherished, Maria Loupassi DeShazo, Niki (Steve) Loupassi Lindgren and George Manoli (Hyde) Loupassi. Manuel is also survived by five grandchildren and one great-grandchild, whom he doted over and lectured as only he could, Samantha DeShazo, Joseph DeShazo, Doxey Loupassi, Stewart Loupassi, Manoli Loupassi—Manuel's namesake and Nicholas McMillan. He is also survived by his brother-in-law, Nick Kokolakis; and many cousins, nieces and nephews who reside in Crete. He was predeceased by his father, George Loupassi; mother, Maria Loupassi; sisters, Kleoniki Kokolakis and Noula Birakis; and grandson, Todd McMillan. The family would like to thank the wonderful doctors and nurses at Memorial Regional Medical Center. Family will receive friends from 3 to 5 and 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 29, at Bliley's- Central, 3801 Augusta Ave., where a Trisagion Service will be held at 7:30 p.m. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, August 30, at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 30 Malvern Ave., with interment to follow in Hollywood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made in Manuel's honor to St. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral at vagocathedral.org or to a charity of your choice.

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