Nicholas Roussos: A man of the sea

Nicholas Roussos was a man of the sea.

Born in Aidipsos on the island of Evias in Greece in 1943, Roussos was the son of a commercial fisherman and spent his younger years working the fishing nets with his father and brothers on the Adriatic.

As a young man, Roussos didn't travel far from the water, becoming a merchant marine on Greek ships, traveling the world's seas and oceans.

So it would not be unusual that years after giving up the sea for a family in Belmont, Roussos would take his rod and reel and head for the ocean he knew so well to spend time fishing.

Yet on Aug. 31, 2010, on an unusual midweek excursion to a fishing site he did not know at the rocky eastern tip of Gloucester, a rogue wave swept Roussos into a suddenly unforgiving sea. Despite the quick reaction of the US Coast Guard and medical teams, Roussos did not survive.

Roussos was 67.

To his family, Nicholas – Niko – Roussos was truly the measure of everything a man should aspire to be. 

"He was humble, kind, selfless, unbelievably hard-working and wholly devoted to his family. The only thing he lacked was the gift of time," said his daughter, Kim Roussos Edmonds.

At 27, Roussos immigrated to the United States and soon afterwards met Crystal Caramanis Roussos through relatives at a family party in Arlington, to whom he was lovingly married for 39 years. They settled in Belmont where they brought up their children, Kim and Vasilios.

Nicholas worked in and around Belmont for nearly 40 years as a painter with his own company, Nicholas V. Roussos Painting, and for 35 years as a facility maintenance manager at Harvard University, working as many as 17 hours a day to support his wife and children.

In addition to his extended family, Roussos had a passion for his large vegetable garden that he worked daily, allowing family, friends and most recently grandsons to pick their own tomatoes, green beans and peaches.

Roussos other passion was, of course, fishing. 

Roussos loved to fish on Cape Cod, where he and Crystal had a summer home in Dennisport.  In recent years, he almost always cast off from the shore for stripers and bluefish. 

"He was extremely cautious, meticulous and appreciative of the power of the sea. As senseless as it seems, this wasn't an accident caused by his recklessness," said Edmonds.

"He will be missed beyond words by those who loved him," she said.

Nicholas Roussos was the devoted husband of  Crystal (Caramanis) Roussos, father of Edmonds and Vasilios N. Roussos, both of Belmont.  He was also the father-in-law of Stephen Edmonds and beloved grandfather of Nicholas and Christian Edmonds and was eagerly anticipating the birth of his first granddaughter.

He was the brother of George and Amy Roussos of Arlington, Tina Caramanis of Arlington, Kerry and Kathie Caramanis of Keswick, Virginia and several siblings who live in Greece.  He was the uncle and great uncle of many nieces and nephews. 

Visiting hours at the Brown and Hickey Funeral Home, 36 Trapelo Rd., Belmont will be on Friday, Sept. 3 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The funeral will be at the Brown and Hickey Funeral Home on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 9 a.m. followed by funeral services at the St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church, 4 Appleton St., Arlington at 10 a.m. Burial will be at Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge. 

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Athanasius the Great Greek Orthodox Church.