Elias (Lou) Costopoulos

Elias (Lou) Costopoulos

In the early morning hours of May 7, 2020, Lou went home to be with the Lord. He was a gracious, kind soul with an endearing smile.

Born August 28, 1927, in Detroit, Michigan, he was the third child of Argerios and Constance. His given name is Elias, but we all know him as Lou.

His parents owned four candy and soda shops – purveyors of homemade ice cream, confections, popcorn, sandwiches and other treats. Three of the shops, the Dexter, Avalon and Tower were next to movie theatres and provided snacks and treats to movie goers. At that time, theatres did not have concessions. The fourth shop, Boutique Dairy Bar was next to a school.

As a youngster, Lou was responsible for popping the popcorn. Not being tall enough, he would stand on a wooden crate to get the job done. As he got older, making the ice cream became his responsibility. Before and after school, he would head down to the basement and crank out delicious, creamy goodness. Being a part of the family business at an early age gave Lou a working knowledge of the dedication and hard work it takes to succeed. This experience would serve him well throughout his life.

Lou served proudly in the United States Air Force, serving 6 years during the Korean War. It was during his Air Force years that he met his beloved, Dorothy. Although stationed in Arizona, Lou was sent to Chanute Air Force Base, located in Illinois, for a training mission. Nobody has utilized a two-week time span more efficiently and effectively as Lou. Unbeknownst to him, his sweet, precious, future bride lived in the same town as Chanute and his life would be forever changed.

Every generation, there are caring adults who expound their wisdom on young people, to, you know, guide them when making decisions that might significantly impact their lives. The wisdom handed down to young ladies in the 1950s who lived near a military base was to never, ever, ever date a guy wearing a uniform! And the military guys said, “challenge accepted,” and knew not to wear their uniforms when hanging out in town! The local skating rink was where all the cool kids hung out and Lou and Dot, of course, being cool, were no exception. It did not take long for Lou and Dot to spy each other and of course to “bump” into each other on the skating floor. After all, sometimes you just cannot get those skates to stop fast enough. Walking with Dot after a night of skating, and stopping under a viaduct, Lou asked Dot what she would say if he asked her to marry him. Yes, of course. From the first time they met to the day they were married; 38 days were marked off the calendar. Sixty-eight plus years later, married, no regrets. And about that “will you marry me” question? Lou finally asked her officially last week, when Dot retold the story and reminded him he never actually asked her to marry him.

Lou was an aircraft mechanic in the Air Force, so it was a natural transition for him to continue in that field post Air Force. He was a certified pilot and loved to fly.

Moving several times, Lou and Dot eventually settled in Ft. Pierce, Florida, where his parents were living at the time.

Lou’s gregarious nature, mechanical genius and general resourcefulness helped him succeed as a business owner. Working together with Dot, Lou’s Servicenter was a mainstay on U.S. 1 in Fort Pierce. Lou with his kind spirit was always willing to help others.

One afternoon, a young lady stopped in the Servicenter with car trouble. She was not able to afford the repairs needed so she mentioned to Lou that she was an artist, who made her living driving up and down the coast selling her paintings. She wondered if Lou would accept two of her paintings for the work done on her vehicle. He agreed and little did he know that young lady would be the only female artist in a legendary group known as The Highwayman.

Lou loved his community and enjoyed volunteering by teaching lifeguard skills and water rescue with the local American Red Cross Chapter, teaching boating safety classes with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and serving as Commander and spending 40 years with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Auxiliary Ranch and Grove division. He was also a part of the St. Lucie County Civil Defense, willing to help in the event of an emergency.

His love for deep sea fishing and hunting were nurtured through the time spent with his father enjoying these activities. He shared his enthusiasm for flying, fishing, hunting, and target shooting with his kids, some embraced his hobbies, and some well, we will not mention any names! Suffice to say that whole deep-sea fishing thing takes a strong stomach!

Lou had a fondness for dogs with one or two being a part of the family at any given time. Skipper, his trusty sidekick German shepherd, was faithfully by his side each time he went out on service calls. Raven, a black lab, would join the ranks later.

During his retirement years, Lou and Dot traveled extensively throughout the United States. They loved to camp and traveled with a fifth wheel camper. They spent summers enjoying state and national parks, historic sites and popular attractions in each state. This was also a time they visited friends and family in other parts of the country.

Lou always chose happy; he kept a positive outlook even when circumstances would have validated a different response.

He chose joy and humor through the most trying and difficult times.

He was an honorable man,

He was a man of his word,

He was an extraordinary, awesome dad,

He left a legacy of love,

It is a blessing to know that upon his last breath on this earth, his next was in the presence of Jesus.

Welcome home, Lou, Welcome home.

Lou is survived by his bride of 68+ years, Dorothy Eckerty Costopoulos; four children, Karen Costopoulos, Vicki Costopoulos Kubiak (Larry), Michael Costopoulos (Joyce) and Anita Costopoulos Lupfer (Bill). He was blessed with five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.