Beloved Grandfather Dies After ‘Tragic Mistake’ Returning Home for Dinner with His Wife

• Costas Triantafilos, the owner of the landmark Costas Inn in Baltimore, has died of carbon monoxide poisoning, his son tells PEOPLE

• His wife of 64 years, Mary, was also hospitalized and is recovering

• “They loved him,” Peter Triantafilos says of the community’s response

After a well-known Baltimore restauranteur died of carbon monoxide poisoning earlier this week, his family is speaking out about the “incredible” father and pillar of the community whom they lost.

Costas Triantafilos, the 85-year-old owner of Costas Inn, died after he fell in his home on Monday, March 24, his son Peter Triantafilos tells PEOPLE.

Costas’ wife, Mary Triantafilos, 83, was also affected by the deadly gas that infiltrated the house but is recovering and expected to return home on Wednesday, March 26, her son says.

“That’s where the pain comes in, because it wasn’t from being ill or anything like that,” says Peter of his father’s passing.

Peter has been running the landmark seafood restaurant for 42 years with his dad, which Costas first opened in 1971. “It was just so sudden, so shocking because he was so full of life,” Peter says.

Costas, who worked at the restaurant every day, went home at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 23, for dinner with his wife of 64 years, his son says. There they ate and went to bed like they normally do.

But Costas didn’t realize that when he hit the button to turn his car off before exiting the garage, the car was still running.

“It was just a tragic mistake,” says Peter.

By the time Costas woke up to go to work at 7:30 the next morning, the attached home was “engulfed” in carbon monoxide, Peter says. His dad fell as he got up to brush his teeth, and Mary called 911.

“She was on oxygen, which is what saved her,” says Peter. “But she never would’ve woken up if he didn’t fall.”

Mary initially thought her husband had gone into cardiac arrest. A statement from the Baltimore County Fire Department says that officials responded to a call at 7:37 a.m. on Monday from a home in Glen Arm, Md., for a reported cardiac arrest “which quickly escalated into a hazardous carbon monoxide (CO) emergency,” matching the Triantafilos family’s description of what happened.

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The department reported that “dangerously high CO levels” were in the home.

An investigation confirmed that a “vehicle left running in an attached garage” was the cause. Both were transported to a local hospital. (The fire department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for further comment.)

Peter says he knew something was “devastatingly wrong” when he called his dad that day and he didn’t answer.

His mom, luckily, is “doing really well,” says Peter. He’s eager to bring her home.

But the family is heartbroken, especially his mom: “I don’t know how we even put that back together.”

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What has buoyed the Triantafilos family — many of whom work at Costas Inn — is the “outpouring” of support from the community.

“It just speaks volumes about my dad,” Peter says. “They loved him and he was a big part of the community for 65 years.”

Costas was a “very giving” man, as well-known for the scholarships he doled out as for his restaurant’s crab cakes.

He came from humble beginnings: According to his son, Costas moved to the U.S. from Greece in 1955 with just $5 in his pocket. He didn’t know how to speak English, but that didn’t stop him from earning his diploma and entering into business when he was 17.

“He was just an incredible mentor [and] role model,” Peter says.

A dedicated family man, Costas was also committed to his employees and customers. Even in his 80s, he stopped by the restaurant in the mornings and evenings to work alongside his sons, daughters and grandchildren.

“He could have been vacationing in Greece. He could have been taking time to relax, but that wasn’t him,” says Peter. “He said, ‘I’m going to work until I die.’ ”

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Peter recalls how one night, about a year ago, Costas was half way home when he drove back to the restaurant because he forgot to say goodbye to a customer.

“He felt bad that he missed that person,” his son says, explaining that Costas’ spirit inspired their whole family and employees at the restaurant.

While loved ones grieve, the plan remains to build a new restaurant, Timonium, which is set to open on the west side of the city in April.

“Now it’s just about fulfilling his dream,” Peter says, “and just keeping his memory and his legacy alive.”

Read the original article on People