It’s all Greek to him, now: A cabbie’s Christmas miracle thanks to the faith – and heritage – of his mother

MANCHESTER, NH – Four years ago I took a ride with Louie the cab driver. He wanted to show me “his” Manchester. It was a real joy ride for me and, in hindsight, a ride of a lifetime for Louie.

In sharing his own love story – love for Manchester, love for the Greek half of his DNA, love for the woman who gave him life, Louie wanted to let anyone willing to listen know that sometimes redemption takes time.

His life has not been a straight shot, but he’s landed well. Better than even his stoic mother – a woman of steadfast faith – could have imagined.

And so today, on what would have been Demetra “Ditty” Angelides’ 94th birthday, Louie wanted to honor his mother’s memory by sharing the rest of his story. He wanted to let the world know that this year in particular he feels like a Christmas miracle, thanks to his mother’s love, and God’s unconditional and redeeming love.

And the supportive Greek community that helped complete the circle of Louie’s life.

He will be 64 in February and spent more than half of his life drinking. He has no sour grapes about what didn’t happen for him in his younger years because of his alcohol addiction, but is grateful for his own redemption from that vice.

“It happened when it was supposed to happen. Things happen in God’s time,” says the man whose recent evolution included seeking out his nouna (that’s godmother in Greek)  Helene “Leni” Giftos Hodgins, back in 2020 for some guidance.

His mother had been gone three years, so he turned to the woman she chose to be his spiritual guardian.

“I stopped by unannounced and told her I wanted to do this,” says Louie, “this” being his desire to get baptized at his mother’s church, St. George Greek Orthodox. He and Lenny had bonded over their shared interest in athletics and especially running.

“Besides our lineage, what cultivated our friendship was Leni and I have run many of the same marathons – Boston, NYC, Chicago, Washington, D.C. I told her I wanted her to do this for me, and so we went to see Father Mike.”

And on July 19, 2020, Louie was baptized at his mother’s church by the Very Rev. Archimandrite Agathonikos M. Wilson, aka Father Mike. For the first time in his life, Louie says he felt a sense of completion, the emptiness that occupied some part of his spirit finally fulfilled as he embraced his “truth” as a Christian.

“It was the most beautiful thing that happened in my life. Not to denounce my father or Judaism, but this is my truth. I come from the womb of Demetra Angelides and most people acknowledge that you are the lineage of your mother. I don’t need to get into particulars, I’m entitled to my opinion,” he says. “And if I make it to next Memorial Day it will be 30 years without a drink. If not for the guidance of my mother and her conviction to a higher power, it wouldn’t have happened. I wouldn’t have stopped drinking,” he says.

That same year Louie got baptized he also wanted to change his surname but because of COVID it was hard to get into probate court, and navigating the technology of it all was more than he wanted to deal with. This year he had a conversation with his friend, Coach Stan Spiro, who told him he thought it was wonderful that he got baptized, but pressed him on “part 2” of his transformation.

“‘What about the name change?” Coach Spiro asked me – not sternly. But I explained it to him, that I was going to make it happen in August,” Louie says.

And that is how Louie Applebaum became Louie Angelides, reborn at age 63 to fulfill his own destiny and heart’s desire. He did it to acknowledge and honor his Greek heritage and live his faith and truth through the amazing grace that delivered him from alcohol.

“The word I would use is serendipitous, or maybe innate, but it was the will of Jesus that I’m here. And I’m not here proselytizing. But I have never felt better about life,” he says.

“Before, I was running my life on self-will and it was difficult. Even though for the past 25 years I’ve ascribed to Christian theology through support gatherings I’ve gone to,” he says. “After all these years, this is the Christmas miracle. God has done the impossible. I’ve abstained for three decades and been able to find the truth in my own life, which I believe is embracing the lineage of my mother.”

He says his mother taught him to be orthodox in a “most unorthodox sense” over the last 25 years of her life.

“She would sit down with me over coffee and look at me with that dumbfounded look, her head would be bowed – which I learned is how many people pray – and then she’d look up and say, ‘Louie, you’re never gonna figure it out.’ and I’d say, ‘Figure what out?’ and she’d say ‘I’ll be long gone before you do.’ She was always a believer,” says Louie.

“This Sunday holds so much for so many people. I hope my story will inspire others to have hope, faith and to love and live in peace,” says Louie. That’s the message I’m bringing this Christmas.”