His parents, Elli and Steve, were young but eager to work hard to create the ideal environment for their son. As a baby Costa was easy to please, especially when it came to eating: he gobbled down anything given to him. But he wasn't an only child for very long : a mere 11 months later, his sister, Evy came into the world. He suddenly ceased being a baby, and grew up overnight. He took great pride in his responsibilities as her elder brother, especially when it came to sharing in mischievous adventures.

Barely two, he entered a day care center where he adapted very easily to a world very different to the safe niche at home. Perhaps this is where he first gained his independence and resourcefulness. His teachers noted how much he enjoyed group activities, and often initiated them. Their only complaint in his report cards was that little Costa, was forced to eat his peas in order to earn dessert.

As a child, Costa loved discovering the world, examining various gadgets and exploring the nature of things, like the outcome of splitting a worm in half . He couldn't have been older than three when he took a box of matches and, with his sister, crawled under the bed to see how large a hole on the carpet he could burn with one match. Instead he discovered how many spankings this kind of behavior would result in. It was one of the few times, and for his own good, that his parents punished him. Needless to say, his sister went without even a scolding, presumed an innocent follower of his mischief. Several years later, Laura came into the world to add to his enjoyment and join Evy and Costa in their adventures.

He attended elementary school at Christian Brothers College, an all boys school. Year after year, his best friend, Conrad and he competed for the highest marks . Invariably, Costa won. He was intelligent but also aware of his limitations, always striving for perfection, but at the same time aware of his shortcomings. This allowed him to grow as an individual, to improve himself and yet to remain humble, a quality that made him a favorite among his peers, even those who attempted to surpass him.

At the age of 12 Costa moved to the island of Crete, in Greece, with his family. He did not have much trouble adapting to this new environment. At school he still excelled, and all the teachers were impressed with his extensive knowledge of Greek grammar which surpassed that of his native Greek classmates. He made his parents proud when he held the Greek Flag at the National parades, an honor bestowed to the highest ranking student of the school. But what also impressed people about Costa was his ability to organize his tasks efficiently, an ability which allowed him to take part in other activities besides school work, and to develop a well-rounded personality. He could be seen playing at the basketball court, scoring at a volleyball tournament or taking part in theatrical plays.

At Brown University, where he spent four fulfilling years, Costa earned a degree in Economics. Brown provided the ideal setting for him to develop to his fullest potential. He devoted time not only to his courses but to many other activities. He climbed up the ranks of the University Food Services, starting off as a simple cashier, to becoming the manager of the whole operation, the highest rank he could achieve. Not a moment at Brown went wasted: if he wasn't writing a paper, he was rushing off on his bike to a meeting, if he wasn't working, he was organizing a get-together with his friends. But no matter how busy or overwhelmed, he always went about his duties cheerfully and always had time to help someone out.

Costa returned to Greece to complete his military service. Again a high achiever, he was not satisfied with being a simple soldier but earned the rank of a lieutenant. He was a few months from completing his service when he discovered he had testicular cancer. For the next two years he fought with cancer. No soldier could fight this battle with more courage and dignity than Costa.

According to his medical records these two years were dominated by two 3 month sessions of chemotherapy, 7 surgeries, and 6 weeks of radiation therapy. What the medical records fail to show is that in these two years Costa attended Columbia Business School, interviewed for jobs, won over $1000 dollars at the Foxwoods Casino, went out dancing, to dinners, to theatre plays, enjoyed vacations and met Susan, the girl of his dreams. What the medical records also fail to show is that during these two years not one day passed when Costa did not laugh and not once did he complain. Costa was intelligent, hardworking, caring, organized, responsible. Yes, he was all of these things. But most of all he lived life to its fullest.

(September,1999)