Harry Fourtunis, age 94, passed away at Vassar Brothers Medical Center after a short illness on October 29, 2020. He was the beloved brother of Anastasia Vardopoulos and brother-in-law of Dr. Constantine Vardopoulos, longtime companion of Minoo Abir, adored uncle of Basil Vardopoulos, Catherine Vardopoulos, Clio V. Hatziyannakis and her husband Harry Hatziyannakis. He also leaves behind a great nephew and great niece, Christos and Nina Hatziyannakis.
He was born in Agios Petros, Greece and came to the U.S. at age two with his mother, Catherine to join his father, James, who had established a business in Newburgh, NY. Harry was an avid reader and spent much of his free time reading the comics at his parents’ family owned store. Monopoly was one of his favorite games and he would spend hours playing with his sister, usually taking over the upscale properties and ultimately winning the game. He was a lifetime member of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Newburgh where he served as an altar boy.
He attended Newburgh schools and graduated from Newburgh Free Academy. He then attended Drexel University in Philadelphia. Family illness brought him back to New York where he attended NYU. He received his bachelor’s degree from NYU School of Commerce.
He was a passionate entrepreneur and developed his business over 46 years. He started out with a small drive-in movie theater in Middlehope and eventually became the owner of the largest wholesale distributor’s business between Albany and White Plains. He acquired several smaller wholesale businesses that eventually came under the umbrella of Harry Fourtunis Inc. He also was the longtime owner of the well-known local auction, Glenwood Auction Market which fulfilled his love for antiquing.
He loved children, and like Santa Claus, he enjoyed giving gifts and chocolate. He will be remembered for his generosity, warmth, kindness, sense of humor, and captivating stories. He truly will be missed.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, P.O. Box 2004, Newburgh NY, 12550.