Obituary of Thomas T. Ellenis

Thomas T. Ellenis “Tom” peacefully returned to his heavenly home to be with his Lord and Savior on Monday June 24 th 2019 at the age of 86 years. He was born to Theodore and Anna (Calandros) Ellenis in Astoria, Queens, New York. He married Viola (Voziou) Ellenis on October 4 th , 1959 in Washington Heights, NY and the two ultimately settled and lived the majority of their lives in Wayne, NJ. Tom, the patriarch of the family, loved his children and grandchildren dearly. He was a devoted husband and partner to his beloved wife, Viola, who passed away after 60 years of marriage on March 19, 2019. Tom was an avid sports fan and loved photography. With Viola at his side, Tom captured in pictures their exciting adventures in places all over the globe, especially in the islands of their home country, Greece. Tom also had a passion for helping those less fortunate. He volunteered his time with the Salaam Shrine in Livingston, NJ transporting children in need and their families to the Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia, PA and as a greeter at Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pompton Plains, NJ. Tom proudly served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War era on the USS Fulton. He retired from Xerox Corporation, previously in Mountainside, NJ after 30 years of service as a Regional Operations Manager. Tom is survived by his son, Theodore T. Ellenis, his wife Tatyana and their daughter Katya Ellenis; his daughter, Dina Ellenis-Cooke, her husband Kenneth and their sons Christian and Liam Cooke. He was preceded in death by his dear wife Viola, his brother Emmanuel (Mike) Ellenis and is sister Irene Ploss. Family and friends are invited to attend a  viewing at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, (vpfh.com), 257 Godwin Ave., Wyckoff on Thursday, June 27th from 6pm to 8pm, with the Trisaghion prayer service offered at 7 p.m. The funeral service will be held at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 467 Grandview Ave., Wyckoff, NJ on Friday, June 28 th at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at the Cemetery of the First Reformed Church in Pompton Plains, NJ, where U.S. Navy military honors will be rendered. Contributions in Tom’s memory may be made to the American Heart Association P.O. Box 3049, Syracuse, NY 13220-3049.