The first time he proposed, she said she would think about it. He didn’t get down on one knee, but told her he thought she was the right girl for him. It was not love at first sight, she said, and she was cautious.
The second time, only a few weeks later, he came to her holding a huge heart filled with candy, a single rose and a card that read “Love Forever.” This time, she said yes.
It was Valentine’s Day.
But this isn’t a typical boy-meets-girl story. The couple, Athena and Alex Loupessis, had never dated before the proposal and spent the year and a half of their engagement getting to know each other. The two had separately moved to America from different parts of Greece to start a new life but wound up meeting through Athena’s aunt in Newburgh.
“He was a baker. He was the greatest baker in the world,” Athena said.
After moving to Long Island, Alex got situated in a bakery. While visiting the island as governor, Nelson Rockefeller got his hands on the baker’s strawberry shortcake, loved every bite and recommended he set up shop in Albany. The couple took his advice and found their way to Colonie in 1971, and only two years later, they opened the Latham 76 Diner on Route 9.
The Loupessises worked day and night together, building the restaurant from scratch, raising two children and later, welcoming five grandchildren. The hardworking couple devoted their lives to the diner and to each other.
With the success of the family-run business, the couple began planning their retirement dream house in Cephalonia, Greece, overlooking the crystal clear blue ocean. Construction began in 2004, and Alex envisioned having 45 fruit trees lining the property. The couple, happy and grateful, were side by side up until a tragic Northway accident in 2006 that injured Athena and took Alex’s life.
“It’s heartbreaking. I grew up with him, built a life with him,” Athena said of their 43 years of marriage. “I never got to say ‘goodbye’ or ‘I love you.’”
Now, Athena works in her late husband’s memory. Their dream home was finished, and she added in those 45 fruit trees he wanted. But it’s more of a vacation home than a place to retire. Today, Athena Loupessis is still as hardworking as ever, running the Latham 76 Diner.
As the holiday of love draws near, Loupessis said each Valentine’s Day is difficult. She prepares by keeping busy and having a smile on her face. But the couples that fill the diner’s tables on Valentine’s Day year in and year out still bring Athena happiness. She’s seen many Valentine’s Day engagements throughout the past 40 years and appreciates when couples still act “old-fashioned” with one another.
“Valentine’s Day is, of course, for the lovers. To love somebody, you have to feel it here,” she said, pointing to her heart. “Before you make a commitment, you have to be honest. And think about the good things. A few bad things happen in a way, but forgive and forget, because nobody’s perfect.”
Athena works every day, unless she’s on vacation, and many customers call her “Mama.” She runs the restaurant with her son, Anthony. When her husband died, Athena said there were more than 750 cards and emails sent to her in his honor. Many people believe Alex is watching over the restaurant, and his framed photo hangs on the wall.
“He was a brilliant, very hardworking businessman. And a good husband,” she said. “He was never afraid to fight for his belief.”
Vivid memories of the couples’ first Valentine’s Day still stay strong in Athena’s mind.
“It should be Valentine’s Day for the couple every day of the year. They should be thanking the Lord they have somebody,” she said. “When you lose somebody to divorce or death, then you realize what you’re missing. I love my husband. It was forever. And still forever.”