The Greek-American community mourns the loss of Andrew Nicholas Vagenas, who passed away on March 20th, 2026, due to a tragic accident, at the young age of 37.
Greek dramatist Menander once said “whom the gods love, die young.”
Perfectionist. If we were to describe Andrew Vagenas in one word, that would be the word we would use. Everything Andrew attempted to do in his life; he did it all the way. There was never half an effort. Whatever it was that Andrew chose to do at any given time, he threw everything he had into it. That’s just who Andrew was. This was a trait Andrew possessed even from his early youth.
As a boy, Andrew studied Tae Kwon Do (at the Loupakis Athletic Center in Bayside, Queens) characteristically, spending many hours in practice. He was instructed by Effie Loupakis, Peter Loupakis, and Tony Loupakis. Andrew was not just good at karate, he made himself great at it, winning the New York State championship at age 12 and then going on to become a second degree black belt.
In school, his report cards all tracked high 90s in almost every subject. Andrew was an incredible combination of mind and body, an homage to his Greek heritage and something his ancient ancestors would undoubtedly have valued greatly. Despite his physicality, he was a sweet precocious boy, a boy that you just warranted to hug, for no particular reason.
Everyone who knew Andrew Vagenas as a boy, said the same thing. He was beautiful. With his penetrating eyes and golden hair, he seemed almost angelic. He had an endearing face and a smile to match. Over time, that adorable boyish face became the face of a handsome man.
Although the face eventually transformed from boy to man, that wonderful smile remained. Andrew had an incredible smile that came easily, naturally, and never forced. Andrew’s smile was one of great confidence, as if he possessed some kind of hidden knowledge. It was the type of smile that children often display when they know the answer to the teacher’s question. Andrew’s smile was not his only distinguishing attribute.
Andrew was a true Spartan warrior. Standing at 6’ 3” with broad shoulders, and unfathomable strength, Andrew made a formidable impression. When Andrew walked into a room everyone knew it. Many times, he exhibited superhuman strength. In one cherished episode, two delivery men struggled to get a desk off of the back of a truck to bring it down to the sidewalk. The desk was destined for Andrew’s sister’s room on the top floor.
While the men rested before daring to undertake the remainder of their task, Andrew without hesitation picked up the desk, drawers and all, flipped it upside down, placed it across his shoulders and back and carried it up two sets of stairs to an office in the upper room of his house. Everyone was left stunned and speechless, staring in disbelief. For Andrew it was simply just another day.
Andrew loved his little sister Mary, and he would do anything for her. Coming from a close knit Greek family, Andrew and Mary grew up amongst many loving relatives who were always there for them, including many loving cousins. In addition to this family environment, the one true constant in their young lives was the fact that they had each other. They were always there for each other, they would always be there for each other, and God help anyone who tried to mess with the other.
Incredibly, Mary and Andrew each had a son at just about the same time! Four years later, their two boys loved spending time with each other. Equally incredible, Mary just recently gave birth to a beautiful daughter, with the birth of Andrew’s daughter expected in a few months. Mary and Andrew marveled at the fact that like themselves, their children would have “built in” lifelong companions in their first cousins.
Speaking to Andrew, one would think that he was a financial wizard. He had deep knowledge and clear strategies about crypto currency, precious metals, and other investments. He spoke about confidential stock tips that were sure to gain ground quickly and provide a meteoric return. And he always had an opinion on what the economy was going to bring next. More often than not, he would be right on the money.
Although Andrew knew finance, it was Architecture that he formally studied in school. Despite the fact that he was a great student of the subject, in the end he opted for a career that would allow him to use his brain and his hands at the same time. Andrew loved carpentry, construction and building things.
Like a learned astronomer who studies his charts but gets more appreciation by staring at the heavens, Andrew respected the technical side of his business, but more than that, he appreciated the beauty of the work in progress. He always wanted to experience with his eyes and touch with his hands what his mind had conceived.
Whether it was a lobby of a building, a restaurant, a new bar or an ultra high end kitchen, Andrew wanted to be a part of the process and nurture his creation from start to finish. Andrew was an artist who worked hard so that above all else he could be proud of his final work. And Andrew was astoundingly good at it.
Andrew was a third generation artisan, who had followed in his father’s footsteps, who had also followed in his father’s footsteps. Given this heritage, it was no wonder construction artistry came naturally. It was as if it was in his blood.
And it is no wonder that Andrew loved to teach his son what his father and grandfather had taught him about carpentry. Andrew loved his son dearly. He would spend many many hours taking his son to the park and teaching him rudimentary carpentry and mechanical skills, even at a tender age. If carpentry and construction were Andrew’s first love, the love of automobiles was not far behind.
Andrew loved working on cars. He would get great satisfaction from taking some old worn down car and transforming it into a monster performing vehicle. His garage was a reflection of his love of automobiles, containing more tools than the average repair shop times three. He would always say that there was nothing that he could not restore.
Perhaps it came down to the same thing that made him also love construction, conceiving a complex solution in his mind and then using his hands to turn it into physical reality in the real world.
Taking his artistic bent further, Andrew also loved to play guitar and piano. He played a mean Hendrix. If you closed your eyes, you would think you were listening to Hendrix at Woodstock. He loved the piano too, playing more melodic tunes that soothed the psyche after a hard day. There was really nothing Andrew could not do once he put his mind to it.
Years ago, Andrew had met and fallen in love with Nicole. They had so much in common and shared many mutual interests. Nicole loved cars too and Andrew and Nicole would often work together side by side on many projects. Nicole often helped Andrew in many of his endeavors. Nicole was not only great with a computer, but she also knew how to use a ratchet and socket too. They loved to travel, visiting historical sites, sharing a deep love of history, and enjoying each other.
Andrew and Nicole had a beautiful son together, with many wonderful memories of bringing him up and watching him grow from a newborn to a preschooler. They were both looking forward to the birth of their daughter, especially Andrew who could not wait to meet his little baby girl.
Andrew was just that guy. He was in all respects just a beautiful man and he was taken away from us way too soon. He had so much life left to live and so much more to live for; a beautiful son that in many ways in heart and body mirrored Andrew in his youth, an unborn daughter who would undoubtedly have been his favorite little girl, a wife who loved and cherished him dearly, and an entire family that loved him unconditionally, including a loving father and mother, a sister, and brother-in-law, a grandmother, aunts and uncles, cousins and even more family and friends than can be written here.
We will never forget Andrew. We will continue to keep him alive in our hearts, no matter how much pain we carry today. We will repeat to each other all the stories about his great accomplishments, the funny incidents, the measure of the man that he was, and all the heartfelt love we will continue to have for him. We will share these things with his children and think of him unceasingly.
Even though Andrew is physically gone, his words and legacy will live on forever, and we will always treasure Andrew Vagenas as a gift and blessing to us all. Most importantly, he loved his fiancée Nicole, and their sweet son Cassiel Demetrius.
While it was a dark day for us all on Friday, March 20th, when the world lost Andrew Vagenas, I am confident that a line of angels was sent to lead him to paradise (to reunite him with his beloved grandfather Harry Korines, who passed away on January 11, 2023).
To paraphrase the chorus of the classic Vince Gill tune “Go Rest High on that Mountain”:
“Go rest high on that mountain
(Andrew) your work on earth is done
Go to heaven a-shoutin’
Love for the Father and the Son.”
Andrew’s passing is a great Greek tragedy, the kind an ancient Greek poet, like Tyrtaeus or even a Shakespeare could only fathom and capture. Horatio’s farewell words to Hamlet echo in our thoughts, “Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet prince, And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!” And so, good night sweet Andrew. May flights of angels sing thee to heaven. May his memory be forever eternal!
A GoFund Me campaign was set up for his fiancée Nicole Smith, which is available by clicking here.
In a memorial luncheon, Andrew’s sister Mary Nicole made the following poignant speech: “Thank you all for being here today to honor my brother. It means so much to our family to see how many people loved him. Andrew was… a lot of things. He was funny, stubborn, reliable, and big-hearted—even if he didn’t always show it in obvious ways. He had this smirk and the biggest smile that you could never be mad at. If you knew him, you know he loved to ruffle feathers a little. He liked to go fast, push limits, and maybe break a few rules along the way. He loved his family and friends, his Simba, his cars, his motorcycles, his guitar… his candy… and of course, ‘going to buy toys.’ And if you ever had a conversation with him, you probably heard him say ‘duh’ or ‘expinos’ a few times. I’m sure most people here have at least one story—probably more—of something wild, crazy, or slightly questionable that you did with Andrew. He had a way of pulling you into his world, where things were a little louder, a little faster, and definitely a little more fun. He loved testing boundaries… and then telling you all about what he got away with after. Whether it was outrunning trouble or just laughing about it later, that was Andrew. More than anything, he loved being a dad. He showed up for his son in all the little ways that mattered. He changed diapers, fed him, put him to sleep and took him on little adventures to explore the world together. He was always there. Andrew was so excited to welcome a new baby, a daughter. And he loved that our kids were the same age. There are honestly too many memories for me to even begin to share. The ones I’ll miss the most… are the ones we didn’t get to have yet. We were supposed to grow into this next chapter of life together— raising our kids side by side. Watching them grow up, getting into trouble like we did, and making memories the way we always had. And that’s the part that hurts the most. Andrew leaves behind so many people who love him—his friends, his family, his fiance And most of all, his beautiful 4-year-old son Cassiel, and a daughter Andriana whom he should be meeting next month. My heart breaks for them. My poor nephew and niece. But I want to say this, Andrew… I promise you—I will watch over your babies. I promise I’ll make sure they always know who their dad is. And I promise that our kids will grow up together the way you always wanted them to. That they will be best friends, cousins, and look out for each other like siblings… just like we always did. If there’s anything I can take from this… anything I can share with all of you… it’s this: Stop putting things off. Don’t hold onto anger. Don’t leave things unsaid. Because life is so short… and it can change in an instant. Andrew was always trying to get people to go down to Florida. We talked about it all the time. We planned it. We said, “we’ll do it later.” Mason is always asking about you… He couldn’t wait to go visit Uncle Andrew’s house in Florida. We kept putting it off… thinking we had time. And now… we don’t. We all thought we had more time with you. But you were taken from us way too soon. When you’re so busy living your life, you don’t realize how quickly everything can change. So make the moments count. Make them memorable. Don’t take a single day for granted. Tell people you love them. Hug them tighter. Show up. Because you never know which conversation will be your last. Andrew… You lived life your way—fast, loud, and unapologetically. You made people laugh, you made life exciting, and you left a mark on everyone who knew you. We’re going to carry you with us—in our stories, in our memories, and in your children. And we’ll make sure your name, your spirit, and your love lives on through them. I love you, big brother. Always. Mary.”
