VCU student Dimitrios E. “D” Foor, 25-year-old entrepreneur and international politics and real estate major, died from head injuries after a car accident Friday, Nov. 4, while driving in Everett, Pa. An injured passenger survived.
Foor, who took classes for three semesters at VCU, studied principles of real estate under the guidance of Robert Taylor, director of Virginia Real Estate Center who teaches in the School of Business.
“He had that drive to go beyond what we were learning,” said Taylor, who wondered why Foor was missing class and was surprised to learn of his student’s death. “Because of his experience, he could bring an extra little clift to discussion”
Celebrate the Life of Dimitrios
2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11
Byram’s Seafood Restaurant
3215 W. Broad St.
Foor’s family and friends are invited to honor him at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, at Byram’s Seafood Restaurant, 3215 W. Broad St. He was buried Tuesday, Nov. 8, in Everett, which has a population of about 2,000 people.
“It’s a small town,” said Anne Ntouskas Johnson, Foor’s older sister. “So everywhere we went, someone knew him and had memories of him.”
Last April, Dimitrios’ father, Chris Tukas, sent his son to Greece for a month. Johnson said Foor had always been proud of his heritage and was captivated by the beauty of the country, but upon returning home Foor told his sister, “There’s no place like America.”
Johnson said the two were planning to visit Greece again in December.
Foor grew up in Everett with his mother, Theresa E. Foor, and stepfather, E. Veryl Felten, before moving to Richmond at age 19.
“He was 12 years old when I met his mother,” Felten said. “He was the finest son that you could ever possibly want. Everybody loved him. I don’t think he had any enemies.”
Described as outgoing and charismatic, Foor served as the quarterback for his football team and as pitcher and first baseman for his baseball team at Everett Area High School. When he graduated in 1999, Felten said the University of St. Francis in Indiana offered him an $18,000 scholarship to play baseball.
To the dismay of his mother and stepfather, he turned down the scholarship to attend Clarion University in Pennsylvania with one of his best friends.
After about a year, Felten said Foor left Clarion and started working at Williams and Sons Lumber Co., a sawmill in Chrystal Spring, Pa.
“Those days he’d go straight to bed after working,” Felten said. “(He realized) he wanted an education, so he could earn money by using his brain and not his back.”
In 2001, Foor decided to move to Richmond, so he could spend more time with his father and other relatives. He enrolled in VCU, but Johnson said his interest in school waned because of uncertainty about his future.
Johnson said her brother struggled as a student, but she considered him to be an intelligent man.
“We would have many conversations (during which he told me) he didn’t know what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.”
After leaving VCU, Foor worked with his father in real estate, and together they started a construction company and dry cleaning business. Inspired and motivated by his businesses, he enrolled in VCU again.
“He was my friend. He was my partner. He was my son,” said Chris Tukas, Foor’s father, his voice choking up.
Even though Foor and his father may have envisioned a political career, Johnson said Foor would have been just as happy living a simple life with a family and operating his own business.
“He asked for nothing,” Tukas said. “But he was always there for everyone else.”
Johnson recalled Foor’s mischievous behavior and how he often ignored her cautious advice. Sometimes it was just to tease her like a typical younger brother. For example, Johnson said Foor taught his nephew obscenities in Greek. Other times, she said he just thought she was overreacting.
“One time, he bought my 8-year-old son fireworks,” Johnson said. “I told him ‘You’re going to catch the field on fire,’ and of course, he ignored me. Sure enough a fire started, and he had to run to stomp it out. That became a big joke to us.”