A visitation with a Trisagion service for Daytona Beach resident Sam Constant will be held on Thursday February 3rd at 7pm Lohman Funeral Home Ormond Beach. Family will receive friends from 5pm-7pm. Funeral Service to be held on Friday February 4th at 11 am Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church Daytona Beach with Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos officiating along with Fr. Joseph Samaan Fr. George Papadeas Fr. Michael Byars and Fr. Dean Photos (nephew of Constant). Interment will immediately follow at Daytona Memorial Park with Military Honors. At the age of sixteen Constant went to Bengazi North Africa to attend school and while he was there World War II started. He enlisted in the British Army and was sent to Alexandria Egypt to attend Scotland Yard School. At the age of eighteen he was given the option to join the Greek Navy attached to the British Navy. He graduated from the Naval Academy in Piraeus served in the Royal Greek Navy with the Free Greeks in World War II and was presented with the Medal of Honor by King George of Greece. He also served with the Australian Army and served Scotland Yard in Egypt as an interpreter. He spoke five languages. He served on the Greek destroyer ""Kanaris"" and received several decorations. He received a medal for saving the lives of 36 American soldiers who were invading Sicily by being flown in on gliders. Unfortunately some of the gliders fell into the sea and he and several members of his crew scurried about to save the men in the gliders. After the war he applied for permanent resident status in the U.S. and as fate would have it while he was at the immigration offices a young lawyer approached himhe was the commanding officer of these very same men that he had helped save three years before. Needless to say through his efforts Constant was able to get immediate ""permanent resident"" status. Constant and that young lawyer (Bob Weimer) remained friends all their lives. Sam Constant a past president of the Parish Council of Saint Demetrios fell asleep in the Lord at Halifax Hospital on January 29th at the age of 88. He was born in Symi Island Dodecanese Greece on July 21 1922. He remained proud of his heritage throughout his life. Sam was elevated as Archon Orfanotrofos in 1998 by His Eminence Archbishop Spyridon at Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York. He was a founder of Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church in Campbell Ohio. He dedicated 40 years of service to Saint Demetrios Church in Daytona Beach FL as a council member and president and was bestowed the honor of President Emeritus. He is a long time supporter of the Ladies Philoptochos Society. He is devoted to the Archdiocese and Metropolis. He served on the Metropolis Board under Bishop John of Amorion he Chaired the canister fund for the Orthodox Christian Mission Center local LOGOS Chairman and donor for the Ecumenical Patriarchal visit to Atlanta. A member of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association he was founder and served as its Chapter president. In addition he was a member of the Masonic Lodge Bahia Shrine pillar of the United Way donor to the Association of Retarded Citizens and provided scholarships to Bethune-Cookman University and Daytona State College. Constantly guiding Mr. Sam was his unwavering faith which was reflected in his gentle demeanor and the kindnesses he showed to people around him. Constant was pre-deceased by his beloved wife Angeline. He is survived by his daughter Rene Constant-Gahagan; his son James Constant (Marina); and five grandchildren: Billy Debbie Sammy Sotiri Kosta and Martha. Donations may be made in Constant's memory to Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Chruch 129 N. Halifax Avenue Daytona Beach FL 32118 or Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church 401 12th Street Campbell OH 44405.