Peter Anagnostos Athan passed away on April 18, 2020 in Norwalk, CT from complications related to the Covid-19 virus. He was 80 years old. Peter was born in Brooklyn, NY to the late Helen and Athanasios (Tommy) Anagnostos. Peter is survived by his wife of 54 years, Ursula, his two loving children, Thomas Athan and his wife Kimberly Hausman Athan, and Alexander Athan as well as his two treasured grandchildren, Drew and Katy Athan.
Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, NY, Peter was the definition of a "city kid". He enjoyed stickball and curb ball with his friends as well as music, particularly rock and roll. He was a huge Bill Hailey & The Comets fan. During World War II, Peter and his family lived with his cousin, Leon Karvelis and his mother, Jennie, while Leon's father was overseas. Leon and Peter were like brothers. Peter was a very accomplished student and attended Cooper Union where he studied civil engineering on a full academic scholarship. Cooper Union was, and still is, considered the top engineering college in America. At Cooper Union, Peter joined Omega Delta Phi fraternity and was chosen as its youngest chapter social director ever because of his outgoing personality and ability to recruit beautiful women to parties (important in a college that was 95% men!)
After college, Peter went on to work in civil engineering and spent some time as an underwater "pressurized worker" repairing and renovating the NYC river crossing bridges as well as a surveyor. Peter recognized early (mid 1960s) that these new things called "computers" were going to be something. He decided to get his MBA at night (while working days) at Baruch College which is part of the City University of New York. There he studied business and whatever information technology classes were offered (there weren't many). After graduating, Peter went on to a successful career in business and information technology, managing teams of programmers designing computer systems to help run large corporations including Doubleday Publishing (the largest in the United States at that time), The Boeing Company, Chrysler Motors and Mercedes Benz from which he happily retired in 2000. In his retirement, Peter travelled to China, Africa and enjoyed the southwest United States.
Peter met the love of his life, Ursula Ritz, in 1963 at The Lorelei restaurant and dance hall on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Ursula had just emigrated from Germany to the USA in 1962. This was the start of a lifetime of happiness that included moving to Glen Cove, NY (Long Island) where they raised their two children, Thomas and Alexander. Peter was very active in his children's lives coaching their basketball and baseball teams and even starting the town's youth soccer league which is still thriving today. Peter was an avid collector of antique model trains, Disney memorabilia, coins, and even first generation (1965-1967) Ford Mustangs. When Peter's job took him to CT, Peter and Ursula moved to Redding, CT. Peter loved living "in the woods" as he called it. Perhaps it was all those years growing up in NY City. He cherished watching the animals congregate in his large wooded backyard.
Peter was an amazing husband, father, grandfather, coach, and friend. He will be missed by all that knew him.
More info on Peter's life as well as a place to leave a message for the family and even make a donation to fight Covid can be found at https://www.gatheringus.com/memorial/peter-athan/3146