Constantine "Deno" Yenias

Constantinos "Deno" Yenias passed away on March 24, 2016. He was born June 22, 1948 in Pittsburgh, PA the grandson of Greek immigrants. His father passed away when Deno was 7 years old. The family moved to Baltimore's Greektown in 1955. As a kid growing up in Greektown he would often be seen organizing pick up games in the alleys and playgrounds of Greektown. He excelled in stick-ball, football and lacrosse. Colonel John E Gavrilis, Chief of Police, Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), and a lifelong friend commented how he could hit the goal in lacrosse from across the field or a home run with a pinky in stick-ball. As a youth he was active in his church serving as an altar boy in St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Greektown. During Easter he once lead the traditional Good Friday procession around the church. In the past decade, Deno would organize a yearly breakfast at Easter and Christmas for his friends and family at Jimmy's of Broadway. This tradition grew so large that you would have to get there early to get a seat. Deno attended Polytechnic High School graduating in 1966 and went on to Penn State University where he graduated in 1971 as an engineer. Deno moved to Hawaii for a couple of years and had fond memories of his experience, returning several times to visit old friends. Deno's two sons, Christopher and Stephen, were the pride and joy of his life. Deno coached them through their youth in sand lot teams and he was also the Commissioner of Baseball in Baltimore County Rec Council, Perry Hall, MD. He saw both sons graduate as naval aviators from the United States Naval Academy and serve their country in various assignments throughout the world. A devoted husband, he and Darlene, his wife of 42 years, would often visit the sons in their assignments traveling to Japan, Bahrain, California, Florida, Rhode Island, Texas, the Grand Canyon and other sites. Deno was a proud husband and father.” He could talk for an entire evening with his friends sharing the adventures of his family trips”, commented Colonel Gavrilis. Deno worked for various engineering firms on major projects to include the Fort McHenry Tunnel in Baltimore. His projects would take him out of state. During one of these projects he commuted to Philadelphia daily. His trips home were usually accompanied by two loaves of bread bought in Philly's Little Italy. He would eat one while driving home and the other was saved for his family. In 1997 he joined the Maryland Transit Administration as the Construction Manager. During his tenure of nearly 20 years he managed most of the major construction projects for MTA to include the Baltimore Metro extension, Light Rail Extension (Hunt valley, Penn Station, BWI Airport), Cromwell Maintenance Facility, Light Rail Cultural Center TOD, MARC Extension into Frederick, Halethorpe Platforms and the West Baltimore parking expansion to name a few. Deno held leadership positions in the Maryland Engineers Club and also served as their past president in 2009. Deno was a true Greek at heart. Being raised in Greektown, he had a love for the food, culture, and traditions. Deno would often hold his meetings at one of his favorite Greek restaurants proclaiming, "How could anyone turn you down over a plate of pastitso, calamari (squid) or baklava? “ Mr. Yenias was a major driving force in the Greek community; he held several leadership roles. He was the president of the AHEPA Senior Housing Corporation that developed the first Greek senior living housing in Baltimore. He also served as president and was on the Board of Governors for the AHEPA, Lord Baltimore Chapter, a non- profit philanthropic organization that promoted Hellenism and raised scholarship money for Greek youth. Over the years, Deno's fundraising efforts resulted in the awarding of scholarships to over one hundred students. Deno was also the Secretary of the Greektown Community Development Corporation, a non-profit organization formed to revitalize Greektown. Through Deno's leadership he helped guide a community once at its tipping point to one of the city's best places to live. His efforts attracted major developers and benefactors such as Peter Angelos, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Campus, and numerous other foundations to invest in Greektown. Deno also served on the Board of Buddies, Inc., a non- profit organization that supports the Baltimore Police Department's nine district Explorers Unit. Deno is known for his golfing skills, or more so, for organizing golf tournaments to benefit various charities. He was an avid fan of the Raven's, Orioles and Navy football. He was also a member of the Masonic Lodge, St. John's Chapter. Deno is survived by his wife Darlene, son Stephen (wife Kelley) 4 grandchildren, Caleb, Kara, Micah, and Julia; son Christopher and his girlfriend Hilary; sister Evelyn Lisowsky and her husband Arthur and nephew Stephen and his wife Shanna; sister in-law Patricia Luongo; niece Jackie Hoskin and her husband Brad and his grandnephew Lucas; niece Dana Romeo; nephew Nicholas Romeo and brother-in- law Vince Romeo and his wife Fran; and numerous friends!!! The family will receive visitors at the family Owned and Operated CONNELLY FUNERAL HOME OF DUNDALK 7110 Sollers Point Road on Wednesday from 3 to 5 & 7 to 9 PM. A Trisagion service will be held on Wednesday evening at 5:00 PM from the funeral home. A Funeral service will be held on Thursday at 11:00 AM at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Interment will follow at the Oaklawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to American Cancer Society P.O. Box 22478 Oklahoma City, OK 73123.