NEW YORK – Alexander (Alex) Antzoulatos could not have imagined the fate which awaited him when he stepped into the swimming pool Life Time Fitness on Van Riper Way in Montvale, NJ on October 18.

The 50 year-old Greek-American lost consciousness while swimming. He was pulled from the water and medical assistance was summoned, and CPR was performed according to the police report, but although he was speedily transported to The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, doctors were not able to save his life.

The sad news shocked the community of St. John the Theologian and the Cephalonian community throughout the Tri-State area.

Jason Thunstrom, a spokesman for Life Time Fitness, which is based in Chanhassen, MN, said earlier on Monday that “a man had a medical emergency, possibly a heart attack, while he was in the pool on Sunday…It took some time to identify Antzoulatos, Abrams said, because he was wearing a swimsuit and didn’t have any identification on him,” the Bergen Record reported.

“Club members knew Antzoulatos by face, but not by name,” said police Chief Jeremy Abrams.

According to the Record, police finally found a locked locker, which they opened to find Antzoulatos’s wallet in it with identification. Authorities then contacted family members.

The untimely death plunged Antzoulatos’ family and those throughout the New York Metropolitan Area who know him into mourning.

Antzoulatos is the beloved husband of Pandora (nee Georgopoulos), devoted father of Amelia and Dionysios, loving son of Emilia and the late Dionisios, and dearest brother of Kali Tsukalas, Alexandra Natsoulis and Katherine Mouzakitis. He is also survived by several nieces, nephews and cousins here and abroad.

The tragic death caused grief at the Greek-American-owned, Manhattan-based company, MGE Unified Technologies Corp. according to Dimitris Gianniris, the company’s Chief Operating Officer.

He told TNH that on October 20 all company executives observed a minute’s silence in memory of Alexander Antzoulatos.

“The time that lapsed from the first email sent by the family until today was the most difficult time for the Greek-American partners,” of the firm, “and all architects, civil engineers and all the employees, because the deceased was talented, workaholic, and creative, and like few others captured the hearts of people,” said Gianniris.

Antzoulatos’ colleagues have opened a special gofundme account

at www.gofundme.com/um6brtac.

At the time of the writing of this article $3,105 was raised. When TNH had earlier spoken with Gianniris, about $1,570 had been raised. In about two hours that amount was doubled.

Gianniris noted that the company’s partners along with Antzoulatos’ colleagues and friends will attend the funeral and will strive to relieve the pain of the family.

The deceased was born in the village of Fragata on Kefalonia and came to New York at the age of four.

His parents, the late Dennis Antzoulatos and Emilia Antzoulatos brought Alexander into the world along with his three older sisters.

Antzoulatos, as pointed his brother-in-law Nikos Natsoulis “was an only son and the pride and joy of his mother.”

He and his siblings grew up in Washington Heights and were taught Greek language and culture at the St. Spyridon School. He graduated with honors from the Bronx High School of Science and was admitted to Manhattan College, where received his degree

in Mechanical Engineering. He was part of the management team at MGE.

In 1995 he met the love of his life, teacher Pandora Georgopoulou. They married and had two children, Emily, 15 years-old, and Dionysios, 14.

Pandora is a public school teacher, but she also teaches in Greek Afternoon School of St. John the Theologian.

Natsoulis called Antzoulatos “a virtuous and excellent family man, magnanimous, and generous.”

“He stood out for his rare character, for his altruism and love of the Greek-American community and for Fragata in Kefalonia. Without any doubt he was an example not only for his family and relatives, but also to all who had the luck and privilege of knowing him and calling him a friend,” said Natsoulis.

The viewing was held on October 21 and 22 at the Barrett Funeral Home in Tenafly, NJ and the funeral will be held on Friday, October 23 at the Cathedral of St. John the Theologian in Tenafly.

The family suggests that in lieu of flowers donations should be made to the Antzoulatos Children’s Scholarship Fund. Information will be provided at the funeral home.