Condolences

This one hurts, unfortunately just hearing of it now as I am no longer local. Symeon was the most honorable man I ever knew and the best boss I ever had. I've been working 31 years now, 22 years with major Fortune 100 companies in high level positions and Symeon still stands heads above any man I ever worked along side or for to this day.

Yeah he didn't pay well, but we were kids in the service industry and he never asked us to do anything he wouldn't and he was better at everything than we were no matter how hard we tried to out work him.

Men like him are disappearing from the world and not being replaced with the same quality. I could fill pages with the things he did not only for me but other coworkers of mine. All those kind gestures of support meant so much to us and now will be lost in the mists of time, existing only in the memories of the few of us that are left. His name belongs in the pantheon of legendary Greeks like Socrates, Plato and Alexander the Great. My grandchildren will know his name and the things he did.

There are no words, just know I care….

Kevin Keelan
Surfside Beach, SC

I want to send my condolences to you and the family . Your father was a great person and very sincere he will be truly missed, and his legacy will still go on. Sincerely yours Veronica sykes

What a beautiful and appropriate -- and truthful -- obituary I just read about Symeon, Sr. I love the man I called "Mr. Symeon" on my first visit to the restaurant as he offered me a Greek wine "gratis." But nothing exceeded meeting the wonderful human being he always was in person, which also came through, beautifully expressed, in the obituary. I'm happy Symeon lived. He made people smile in good times, and feel better knowing good people like him genuinely cared, during hard times, like post-funeral dinners.
My family dined at the Oneida Street restaurant (we lived just half a block away. on Grant Street -- thank you, God!), vacationed in the house in Cape Cod many unforgettable summers , celebrated, brought colleagues, friends, relatives and clergy-in-training to enjoy the ever-present hospitality in New Hartford.
Even so, there was so much more to his life I didn't know and couldn't celebrate at the time. Even his children (especially Symeon #2) and the staff "caught" his contageous spirit and became friends over time. If the people we meet in life are some of God's best blessings, Symeon was surely one of them. He will surely be welcomed joyfully by the saints and angels above, and they will doubtlessly feel the same towards him. God bless your tears and let you cherish your joys.

To the Symeon Tsoupelis Family our sincere condolences
I cannot say that I knew S h meon and/ or the Family well, but his obituary speaks of a wonderful man who loved his Family, Friends, and Country well
I am sure that over the years I and/?or my Family were the beneficiaries of this loving man at his restaurants. We pray that God holds him close for all eternity

What an amazing journey he took to get from Greece to Utica, NY. This area has lost a true original; humble, kind, hard working, generous, and accomplished man. Our condolences to both his immediate family and his work family.
The Roselli’s

Dear Tom, Symeon, and Pete.
I’m really sorry to hear about your dad. Even though it’s been a very long time, I have so many great memories of spending time in your home. I was treated with such warmth and was always welcomed by your dad and your whole family. I know he will be missed.
Love,
Jon

We are trully saddened by the passing of this wonderful gentleman.
We have known "Symeon" since he opened his restaurant on South Genesee Street, followed him to the Yorkville location and have enjoyed his warm hospitality and Greek specialities over so many years and to-date..
With our deepest sympathy to the Tsoupelis family and the many friends who are going to miss him. May we all be comforted that he is now resting in peace.

When our boys were little we would go to Symeon's every Friday night. My wife would order the chicken soup as a matter of course, especially when she was pregnant. Well, as it happens our daughter was born and they were still in the hospital when a Friday rolled around. The boys still wanted to go to Symeon's (of course). Symeon stopped by our table and asked where my wife was. When I told him he beamed and offered his hearty congratulations. And when we got ready to leave we found that the kid's dessert was on him...and he gave us a quart of chicken soup to take to my wife at St. Lukes because "It would be good for her and the baby". That was Symeon. One of a kind. He'll be missed.

Symeon felt like family to us every time we visited the restaurant. He knew our names, our favorite dishes, and he always brought a smile to my mom’s face, which in turn brought a smile to my dad. I haven’t lived upstate in over 25 years, but still order spices online and each time I use them it feels like a taste of home. So many of my friends ask for a bottle of “Symeon’s” even though they’ve never been to NY! Like Symeon himself, the spices continue to spread smiles all over. Sending condolences to his friends and family as his passing is felt by more people than you can imagine. Peace.

Ill never forget him. A real leader, a man who did not do the right thing just to see his name in the paper. A man who lifted other people up. He did more that is not recognized than all the accomplishments that are recognized. If every buisness owner treated their employees they way he did his, labor unions wouldn't be needed.
Symeon didn't care if you drove a Maserati or beat up old Kia. He didn't care if you belonged to a exclusive club or was just a poor person from the hood. All he cared about was the content of your character. If you had a work ethic you'd have his respect and that meant more than the Crown Jewels. He'd never ask you to do anything he wouldn't and he saved the most difficult tasks for himself.

Hemingway once said in some ways a man can be immortal for every man dies two deaths, firstly when he is buried in the ground and secondly the last time his name is spoken. Symeon's name will live forever in the hearts of all lucky enough to work with him. Thus, immortality is his.

I am very sorry for your family's loss. I only had the pleasure of meeting him once when he visited Pete and Nicole. He was at the restaurant, singing Greek songs. He was happy to be around people and enjoyed everyone's company, as we enjoyed his.

To the Tsoupelis family - please accept my condolences on the loss of your dad. The obituary is such a wonderful tribute to him, his life and legacy. I have wonderful memories of he and Ann both in Utica and Orleans - always very welcoming!