Fouroulis-Thomas
Eleni “Nitsa” Foroulis was born in 1929 in Volos, Greece to Andrea and Athena. Andrea was originally from Turnavos and made his way to Volos after the first World War. His marriage to Athena Pondikis was arranged, but they were one of the lucky couples that fell in love. They married around 1923 and had four children, Nitsa (the fourth after three boys) Taso, Vago and Zissi. When Nitsa was only nine years old, her mother passed away of heart damage caused by a fever. She was devastated by the loss of her mother. Her father made the decision to remarry two years after the death of his wife as has he had four children and a house that needed to be taken care of. Andrea married Eleni in 1940. Their marriage was not a love match. Although her love for her father and brothers was always strong, life became difficult as she was used to the doting love of her mother. There was little affection between Nitsa and her stepmother.
Adding to the tension of the newly blended family was the start of World War II. English officers moved into the Foroulis house in Volos, and the family was relegated to the basement for a few years. When the English left, Greek officers took their place and the family was still forced to share their house. At some point during the war Germans raided the house and stole the carpets and chandeliers. When the Germans were forced out of Greece Andrea was one of the lucky few who was able to find his belongings and return them to their rightful place. Schooling was intermittent during the war. Once it was over, Nitsa was able to graduate high school and continue her education with tutors in French and musical arts.
Nitsa had never thought of moving to this country, but knowing that she was unhappy, her paternal uncle asked her if she wanted to be introduced to a man named Demetri “Taki” Thomaides, who had moved to the United States but was visiting his family in Trikala. She agreed to the meeting. Taki and Nitsa were engaged the day after they met in November of 1949. She was just 20 and he was 30. They were married in January 1950.
Taki was born in Trikala to Athanasios and Calliope Thomaides. He was the youngest of four children. His older brother Paul and his father immigrated to America at the turn of the century, most likely through Ellis Island, and changed their name to Thomas. Taki followed them when he was a teenager. As with many families at that time, his parents had a transatlantic marriage. Athanasios worked in the U.S. to send money back to his wife and other children who remained in Trikala. When World War II started, Taki joined the U.S. Army. He was placed in a Greek Troop that was part of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services). They were paratroopers and jumped behind enemy lines in Greece. Their assignment was to keep the German troops occupied in Greece so that the U.S. could have less enemy resistance when they invaded France in what became known as D-Day. He was also stationed in Italy and Egypt with his troop. He survived an explosion and returned safely to Concord, New Hampshire. Having made it safely through the war he made plans to visit his family in Greece. It was his first trip since he had immigrated to America. It was there where he met Nitsa Foroulis and married her.
Nitsa and Taki took their honeymoon in Paris before traveling to the United States. Nitsa’s only knowledge of the U.S. was what she saw in the movies, huge mansions, servants, gorgeous landscape. After disembarking the Queen Elizabeth in New York City she and her new husband took the train to Concord, New Hampshire where it was nothing like the movies she saw. Luckily, the newness of marriage and love for her husband helped her adjust to life in the U.S. Taki and Nitsa lived in an apartment above the restaurant Taki ran with his brother. Her brother Zissis was her only family member to move to the United States. He received scholarships to three major Universities and chose to go to MIT in 1959. Nitsa and Taki had two children, Sammy and Athena. When Sammy was eight and Athena was three they moved to Albany, NY. Nitsa and Taki were proud to be Americans but they never forgot where they came from. They were extremely active in AHEPA in Albany and both served on the Chapter and District Lodge. Their son Sammy continued their tradition of involvement and met his wife Demi Sellas of San Bernardino, California at an AHEPA convention in 1976. Taki and Nitsa lived the American dream. Their legacy and heritage continues in their two children, Sammy and Athena and their granddaughters, Eleni and Sophia.
