Athena Lynn Kalandros, 60, of Groton, passed away at home on August 14, 2023. She was born November 11, 1962 in San Diego, CA, a daughter of the late Michael and Alice (Shanaberger) Kalandros. She was raised in San Francisco and earned a Bachelor's degree in Psychology at the University of California at Santa Cruz. She had worked as a grant writer for Cornell University, SUNY Binghamton and San Juan College in Farmington, NM, as well as numerous non profit organizations, and owned and operated the Red Door Coffee House in Groton.
Her love for the outdoors and youth organizations was evidenced by her time with many organizations, both professionally and on a volunteer basis, particularly the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, where summers were spent supervising trail crews, and in winters, managing the Vermont State Ski Dorm in Stowe. Leading youth backcountry trips in the Adirondacks and time living in Greece factored into her two wedding ceremonies with Dave in 1994: the first at Massawepie Scout Camps in the Adirondacks, and the second at Agios Demetrios Loumbardiarias, a 9th century Byzantine chapel near the foot of the Acropolis in Athens.
A dedicated community volunteer throughout her life, she had served as President of the Groton Public Library Board of Trustees and as President of the Philoptochos Society at St. Catherine's Greek Orthodox Church in Ithaca. She coached the Groton Wranglers and worked with the Girl Scouts and multiple other volunteer organizations in Vermont, New Mexico, and New York. She loved to walk and cared deeply for our environment. Athena is survived by her husband, David Hakes and their daughters, Nikiah and Taiya Hakes, both of Rochester. She is survived also by her brothers Michael Kalandros, Jr. (Becky) of NV and Rudy Kalandros, of CA; sisters: Regina Kalandros (Kay), of WA and Blanca Jennie (Brad), of VT; mother-in-law, Gretchen Greene, of Rochester; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by a brother, Steven Kalandros and her godparents, Nikolas and Elva Nikiforiadis of Athens, Greece.
A Trisagion Service will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, August 21 at St. Catherine's Greek Orthodox Church, 120 W. Seneca St., Ithaca. Friends and family will gather from 10:00-11:00 AM at the Church, prior to the service. Calling hours will also be held from 12:00 Noon-2:00 PM on Sunday, August 20 at the Shurtleff Funeral Home, 103 Lincoln Avenue, Groton, followed by a celebration of life in Dave and Athena’s back yard. Memorial contributions, in lieu of flowers, are directed to the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (
https://www.vycc.org/donate/)
. Arrangements are with the Shurtleff Funeral Home (www.shurtleffservices.com).
