It’s not every person who not only leaves a mark on the town where they grew up but on the country in which they lived.
Such can be said of Jim Damalas, San Pedro’s most famous expatriate and founder and owner of the world-renowned Si Como No Resort, Spa and Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica, who died August 8.
I’ve written about my old friend Damalas a few times, most recently just last October, after the death of Jimmy Buffet. That’s when I discovered Buffet had written an entire chapter in his book A Pirate Looks at Fifty about visiting Si Como No in 1996 and making friends with Damalas.
I first met Damalas — always Jimmy to me — when we started at Dodson Junior High together. Over the next eight years, I spent many a day at his house on Santa Rena Drive; hospitality comes naturally to Greeks. A good indicator of the kind of person he was, our W’69 class at San Pedro High voted him class president and “most enthusiastic.”
We went on to Harbor College together, and two years later, he transferred to UCLA, where he graduated with his bachelor’s degree.
He was one of the groomsmen in my 1974 wedding, and while I was early in my newspaper career, Damalas was backpacking around the globe, and we didn’t see much of each other after that.
He eventually set down roots in Manuel Antonio on Costa Rica’s west coast and, in 1993, opened Si Como No.
In 2009, he was in New York, where he was awarded the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Standard-Setters Award. Previous winners included the Prince of Wales, Walter Cronkite, and Ted Turner.
I’m thankful that just last October, Damalas came up and we had breakfast together at Pacific Diner. He was in fine spirits and didn’t share any health concerns, but earlier this year, he had to have a cancerous kidney removed. He was undergoing chemo when he developed sepsis and died during treatment; he was 73.
Jim Dyde, in reporting Damalas’ death on centralamerica.com, called Damalas “a visionary in sustainable tourism who shaped Costa Rica’s eco-friendly hospitality industry.”
Noting that Damalas founded the Greentique Hotels brand at Si Como No, Dyde said, “He focused on creating hotels that integrated with their natural surroundings, prioritizing environmental conservation and community engagement. His approach was encapsulated in the phrase ‘travel well, travel right,’ reflecting his belief that tourism could benefit both the environment and local communities.”
John Hiigel, another W’69 classmate at San Pedro High, is a former pastor and retired professor of biblical studies at South Dakota State University. He came to know Damalas as I did at Dodson; he eventually was student body president at San Pedro. Like many of us, he lost touch with Damalas, but after our 50th reunion in 2019, they reconnected via email. Upon hearing of Damalas’ passing, Hiigel wrote a beautiful eulogy:
“His clear promise as a leader did not go unfulfilled! What a brilliant, impactful career! What good work and positive influence! It was a privilege to know and enjoy him those years ago — a truly joy-giving person — and I celebrate his admirable life.
“I have regrets but much gratitude. Jimmy was always good to me, and he was one of God’s rich gifts in my life.”
Those thoughts were echoed by all those who knew Damalas. Nancy (Jacobson) Shepard is another classmate, one who has remained in touch with Damalas for all of the 55 years since our graduation.
Another world traveler, Shepard lived 12 years in Spain and recalls the origins of the hotel’s name. She wrote, “The ‘Si Como No’ came from a silly response that Jimmy picked up while visiting Madrid with me and continued to be used while we traveled together. I, of course, had a big laugh when I heard the name given to his first hotel.”
Not taken literally, the expression “si como no” is used in Spanish-speaking countries for “of course.”
A funeral Mass was held for Damalas in Quepos, Costa Rica, with his ashes to be scattered at a later time. A lifelong bachelor, Damalas is survived by his older brother, Harry, and Harry’s family.
Shepard spoke for us all in closing: “He was a real treat — a good friend — a truly beautiful human being.” spt
