The family of Spero Theofilatos has announced plans for visitation and a funeral service to honor his life.

Theofilatos, of Jupiter, Fla., who was a nationally-ranked Greco-Roman wrestler in the 1980s, died at the age of 50 in a plane crash in California on Saturday, October 24.

Visitation will be held Friday October 29, 2010 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the following location: 
Fairchild Sons Inc. Funeral Chapel
1570 Northern Blvd.
Manhasset, NY 11030
516-627-2000

A Funeral Service will be held Saturday, October 30, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. at the following location:
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
196-10 Northern Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11358
718-357-4200

Pilots are requested to attend the funeral service in uniform.

A custodial account has been set up in loving memory of Spero to support the education of his son Nicolas. The family has requested in lieu of flowers donations be sent to:
Nicolas Theofilatos UGMA
c/o Wachovia Bank, Jupiter West Shore
6735 West Indiantown Road
Jupiter, Florida 33458
Account Number: 1010302103924
All donations will be placed in Nick’s college fund.

He was a passenger in a single engine plane which crashed near Lake Matthews, south of Riverside, Calif. The pilot of the plane, Timothy Richard Larson, 41, of Moreno Valley, Calif., was also killed. 

Theofilatos wrestled for many years for the Adirondack Three-Style Wrestling Association in his hometown area of Albany, N.Y. He competed nationally at 62 kg/136.5 lbs. and was a six-time national All-American in Greco-Roman.

A graduate of Albany High School in 1978. He first attended SUNY-Brockport, then transferred to SUNY-Albany, where he was a Div. III All-American, placing eighth at 134 pounds in 1982.

“He was an outstanding wrestler, and he was a terrific guy,” said Joe DeMeo, who served as both his college coach and Greco-Roman coach. “He was a great father. He was very successful – a commercial pilot. It is really sad. He turned out to be such a wonderful guy. Wrestling has lost a great person.”

Two-time Olympian Shawn Sheldon, his teammate with the ATWA club, remained close with Spero, as they both lived in the same community in Florida.

“It was shocking to me,” said Sheldon. “He was the greatest guy ever. He was my best friend down here. He’d help anybody who needed help.”

In recent years, Theofilatos has served as a volunteer wrestling coach at Jupiter Christian High School in Florida. 

An online guestbook has been established through the Palm Beach Post newspaper. Those who wish to make a posting in the guestbook should visit:
http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/palmbeachpost/guestbook.aspx?n=spero-theofilatos&pid=146246785&cid=view

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