STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Maria Pappas, who owned Staten Island's once-iconic Victory Diner, has died.

Mrs. Pappas, a native of Cyprus and a long-time Dongan Hills resident, passed away Tuesday at home. She was 87 years old.

For more than 30 years, Mrs. Pappas greeted patrons with a warm smile from behind the counter of the diner, a classic Staten Island institution. It was a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week home-away-from-home, where folks looking for a homestyle meal, a hot cup of coffee and a family-friendly atmosphere could congregate.

The Victory Diner was purchased by Mrs. Pappas' husband, the late Paris Pappas, and Angelo Sbiliris in 1965. In 1982, when her husband passed away, Mrs. Pappas and her son, Steve, with the help of another son, Andrew, continued to operate the establishment.

"My mom was very warm and hospitable. She made everyone feel welcome," said Andrew, who noted that his mother really enjoyed working at the diner.

The shiny blue and chrome building, which started out on Victory Boulevard and Manor Road in Castleton Corners in 1932, remained a popular meeting and dining place until 1964, when it was moved to 1781 Richmond Rd. in Dongan Hills.

There the diner served as a backdrop for many special occasions, including marriage proposals, wedding receptions -- and it even made appearances in several Hollywood films and television shows.

When Mrs. Pappas retired in 2007, the diner was slated to be demolished and the property sold to a developer.

Through joint efforts -- led by then-Borough President James Molinaro and the Staten Island Advance -- the Victory Diner was saved from demolition.

Using jacks and an an oversized flat-bed truck, the diner was moved ever-so-slowly to Capodanno Boulevard in Midland Beach, near the Ocean Breeze fishing pier.

Plans called for the diner to be refurbished and become an attraction on the Island beachfront as part of the planned Splash Plaza at the foot of the South Beach Boardwalk and the Midland Beach promenade.

Groundbreaking for the project took place in May 2012, but sadly, months later, in October 2012, the diner was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. Though not completely destroyed during the storm, it was damaged beyond repair, so much so that it had to be dismantled.

Mrs. Pappas was a long-time member of Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Bulls Head.

Surviving are three sons, Nick, Andrew and Steven; two grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.

The funeral will be from Casey Funeral Home, with a service on Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. A burial will be at Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn.