Spyros Lenas

Spyros Lenas, age 89, a Wayne resident for over fifty years, passed Wednesday, July 31, 2019.

Born of Greek origin, Spyros came to the U.S. in 1953 and settled first in New York City, later living in Englewood, and Tenafly, before moving to Wayne.

His is a wonderful story of a life lived from oppression to enjoyment of the great freedoms offered in our American society.  He came to America because of the great pressure of the communist political system. His first months in this country were spent in a conservative life style that was humble in diet in order to save money to pursue his dreams. His first job was as a dishwasher, and weeks later his talents were realized and he was given a job as a theatre assistant manager.  He would work extra nights cleaning the theatre and on his days off and his two vacation weeks he had per year he would work in restaurants.

Spyros worked himself into the position of Assistant to the President of United Artists Theaters and early in 1965 went into the theatre business for himself.  At one point, Spyros was the largest independent theatre owner in the Metropolitan area.  While working for United Artists, he invested in real estate having bought his first piece of real estate after six months of being in this country.

In 1960, he saw an opportunity in the Wayne area and he started buying land.  He assembled most of the land where the Willowbrook Mall is today.  Later, he developed shopping centers, residential housing, and restaurants.

He came to this country, as he used to say, “with $1.50 in his pocket, and was grateful to be here.”  In the early years, he worked an average of 18 hours a day and slept in the back of the theatre, which was more recently called “The Palladium,” but then known as the “Academy of Music” in New York City. He would sleep in one of the dressing rooms for three years in order to save money, and most of the time he ate bread, feta cheese and olives for sustenance.  In those days he only ate meat once a week.

“There are no short cuts in life,” he used to say “only hard work will get you there.”  “It is the guy who wakes up early in the morning and goes to bed late at night that always gets to the top.”  He always liked and felt for the little guy and all of those who knew him and worked for him, loved him.  He always knew how to relate to this because he had been there himself.  Not one of his workers called him Mr. Lenas as all called him by his first name “Spyros” or “Uncle Spyros.” Until the end he always worked a seven day work week.

Spyros was a well-known self-employed real estate expert and restaurant owner for many years in the Wayne area.  When asked for his obituary what is the most important thing for him in his life’s experience he offered the following: the joy in his heart and dream in his mind in first giving all thanks to God for his successes and his family, he was honored and privileged to be in this wonderful country with the true freedoms that are here for us to enjoy, family is the most important element of life and that he not only loves his family but takes great joy in nurturing his family and relatives.  An example of his joyous successes was bringing his brother and his wife and two children to this country from Albania in 1990.  He not only brought them here but provided work for them and a college education for the children.  He went on to say that his successes in life are all the gift of God and with the help of wonderful and loyal people who participated with him during his life’s journey.  Above all that Spryos did in his life he was proud of his loving and caring family.

Spyros was the loving father of Constantine Lenas and his wife Erriette of Franklin Lakes, Spyros Lenas, Jr. and his wife Fountain of Wayne and Elizabeth Lenas and her boyfriend Alvaro Gama of Oakland; cherished grandfather of Alexandra Parker, Victoria Lenas, Alexis Donohue, Aristotle and wife, Julian Sclavounos, and Spyros Sclavounos; adored great-grandfather of Winter and Zephyr Parker; dearly loved brother of Pandeli Lenas and his wife Lydia of Wayne; much loved uncle of Dr. Suella Lenas and Erion Lenas.