The year 2024 witnessed the passing of numerous Greeks who made profound contributions to the country’s cultural, political, and social spheres. These included celebrated artists, esteemed academics, influential leaders, and revered cultural icons whose legacies continue to inspire
Among them are prominent figures who lived and worked in Greece, as well as Greek Americans and Greeks abroad whose influence extended beyond borders, bridging cultures and enriching the international Hellenic identity.
Prominent Greeks we lost in 2024
Marina Bulgari, February 16
Marina Bulgari, the granddaughter of Greek immigrant Sotirios Voulgaris who established the iconic luxury brand Bulgari, also known as BVLGARI, has died in Italy. She was 93.
She followed the steps of her grandfather and she was widely regarded as one of the most important women in jewelry. Her adventurous and ambitious spirit led her to leave her family’s famed Maison in 1976 to launch Marina B acquiring clients such as Sophia Loren and Ivana Trump.
Ilias Logothetis, February 28
Greek theater and the film industry mourned the loss of renowned actor Ilias Logothetis, who passed away at the age of 85. Logothetis was known for having a successful career, where he initially started with opera before finding his calling in acting.
He gained widespread acclaim, particularly for his performance in Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land, receiving praise for his portrayal of Spooner.
“Ilias Logothetis was a great actor who studied under Karolos Koun,” said the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni. “He performed with passion, honesty and ethics important roles, giving them life in the theater, in Greek cinema, on television.”
Dimos Moutsis, March 6
Dimos Moutsis, one of his generation’s most important Greek composers, died in Athens at 86.
His apogee as a composer came with the release of ‘Agios Februarios’ (Saint February), recorded at the end of 1971 and released at the beginning of 1972.
The lyrics were by Manos Eleftheriou and the performers were Dimitris Mitropanos and Petri Salpea. It was deemed a very important work that sealed the entire first period of his work and opened new avenues in Greek music.
Peter Angelos, March 23
Peter Angelos, owner of the Baltimore Orioles team and shrewd proprietor of a law firm that won high-profile cases against industry titans, died at 94. He was born in Pittsburgh on July 4, 1929, the son of John and Frances Angelos, who immigrated to the United States from Menetes, Karpathos, Greece.
In August 1993, Angelos led a group of investors that bought the Orioles. The price tag of $173 million was at the time the highest for a sports franchise.
While remaining active in a law firm specializing in personal injury cases, Angelos assumed a hands-on approach to running his hometown team. Few player acquisitions were carried out without his approval, and his reputation for not spending millions on high-priced free agents belied his net worth, which in 2017 was estimated at $2.1 billion.
Vasilios (Bill) Stathakos, April 14
Vasilios (Bill) Stathakos, he honorary president and benefactor of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, died at the age of 92, just hours before the Greek-American community was set to march in the Greek Independence Parade in honor of the 203rd anniversary of the start of the Greek Revolution.
He will always be remembered for donating $600,000 towards the purchase of the Federation’s headquarters which bears his name, the Stathakion Cultural Center, and also as honorary president of the Federation.
Anna Panagiotopoulou, May 4
Beloved Greek actress Anna Panagiotopoulou who starred in some of the most popular series on television passed in Athens. She was 76.
She became famous after starring in the Greek series “Madame Sousou” in 1986. A major hit of her career was starring as one of the three Haritou sisters in the Greek hit series “Oi treis harites” during 1990-1992. Another major hit was playing Christina Markatou in the “Dolce Vita” Greek series from 1995-1996.
Peter Caranicas, May 20
Greek-American Peter Caranicas, a Variety editor for 16 years who was respected for his expertise in production and technology, died in Los Angeles after a long battle with cancer. He was 80.
Caranicas covered film and TV production, the birth of cable and satellite TV and much more over his long career as a writer and editor at Variety and other entertainment business publications.
George Provopoulos, May 28
Former Bank of Greece governor George Provopoulos died of cancer. He was 74.
Provopoulos was central governor from 2008 to 2014, probably the most difficult period for the Greek economy, as it entered a protracted financial crisis that rendered the country insolvent, shrank its GDP by over a quarter, and required hundreds of billions in rescue packages that came with draconian measurements.
Alexandros Tombazis, June 24
Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis died at the age of 85. With more than 800 projects – about 300 of them built – and at least 110 prizes gained in competitions he was one of Greece’s most prominent architects.
His company Alexandros N. Tombazis and Associates has undertaken commissions that have been constructed in Portugal, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Cyprus, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, and China.
Bill Caralis, July 19
Bill Caralis a Greek-born media mogul passed away from a heart attack on July 19 at the age of 82.
Caralis emigrated to Australia at the age of four. He founded the Super Radio Network, a 42-station radio network valued at $200 million, and was a former president of the Newtown Jets. Caralis was known for his dedication to the media industry and his family business.
Despite his wealth, he maintained a low profile, rarely giving interviews or being photographed.
Tom Korologos, July 26
The Greek American diplomat and Washington insider passed away at the age of 91.
His long career of government service included work with Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.
From 2004 to 2007, Korologos served as the 29th US Ambassador to Belgium in Brussels, where he initiated a Muslim outreach program that was later adopted by the State Department.
Christos Yannaras, August 24
Christos Yannaras (also Giannaras) a Greek philosopher, Eastern Orthodox theologian and author of more than 50 books that have been translated into many languages died on the island of Kythera. He was 89.
He was a professor emeritus of philosophy at the Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Athens. The main volume of Yannaras’ work represents a long course of study and research on the differences between Greek and Western European philosophy and tradition.
Spiros Rantos, September 27
Spiros Rantos who died at the age of 78 was a renowned violinist, conductor, and educator who significantly impacted the classical music scene in Australia.
Born in Corfu he founded the Rantos Collegium, a chamber orchestra specializing in both traditional and contemporary classical music, and was a passionate advocate for contemporary music, premiering numerous works by Australian composers.
Mimis Plessas, October 5
Legendary Greek composer Mimis Plessas passed away in Athens just one week shy of his 100th birthday, marking a great loss for Greek music.
One of the many things that could be written in his obituary would be that there hasn’t been a single day that the average Greek has not listened to one of his songs in one way or another either on the radio, television or through streaming.
Mimis Plessas was among the most important and prolific Greek composers. He crossed from jazz to light music to laika to artistic folk to movie themes with characteristic ease.
George Baldock, October 9
The tragic loss of George Baldock, a former Sheffield United star who recently played for Panathinaikos in Athens, left the football world in England and Greece in mourning.
Born in England and with Greek ancestry through his grandmother, Baldock represented the Greece national team on 12 occasions from 2022 until his death in 2024.
Vasso Papandreou, October 17
Vasso Papandreou, a founding member of Greece’s socialist party, PASOK, died in Athens at 80 years old.
Papandreou was best known for advocating for women’s rights – and was the first woman to represent Greece as a commissioner in the EU, then the European Economic Community – social welfare and disabled rights.
She was exiled during the 1969-1973 military dictatorship and became one of the founding members of PASOK when she returned to Greece, going on to serve in the party’s central committee and several cabinet posts in the governments of Andreas Papandreou.
Thanassis Valtinos, October 30
Thanassis Valtinos was one of Greece’s foremost writers. His consistently innovative and much-imitated work has been widely translated and had earned him many awards, including Best Screenplay (the Cannes Film Festival, 1984), the Greek State Prize for Best Novel (1990), the International Cavafy Prize (2002), and, the Greek State Prize for Lifetime Achievement (2012).
He was a member of the Greek Academy and served as its president from 2016-2017.
Yiannis Boutaris, November 9
Yannis Boutaris, the unconventional former mayor of Thessaloniki, businessman, and vintner, passed away at the age of 82.
A member of a renowned winemaking family, he led Greece’s second-largest city from 2011 to 2019.
Known for his fearless approach to leadership, Boutaris was a staunch defender of multiculturalism, famously proposing that Thessaloniki honor Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, who was born in the city.
A founding member of the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art and the Addiction Support Center ‘Oasis,’ he also established ‘Arcturos,’ an organization dedicated to the protection of brown bears and wildlife and received numerous national and international acclaims.
Vardis Vardinoyannis, November 12
Vardis J. Vardinoyannis, a powerful and pivotal figure in Greek shipping and energy who survived a terrorist attack and cultivated close ties with the Kennedy family, died at the age of 90.
Born on the island of Crete, the fifth of eight children, Vardinoyannis embodied the archetype of the Greek shipping magnate who became a powerbroker at the head of one of the country’s most influential families.
In 1990, he survived an assassination attempt by the November 17 far-left militant group.
Vefa Alexiadou, November 25
Vefa Alexiadou, the leading authority on Greek cuisine died in a Thessaloniki hospital. She was 91.
She was a bestselling author of thirteen cookbooks in Greece, she also had her own television series, regularly wrote articles for magazines, and gave lectures and demonstrations on Greek recipes.
Nikos Sarganis, December 8
Nikos Sarganis, a legendary Greek footballer and iconic goalkeeper, passed away at the age of 70.
Sarganis, known as the “Phantom” due to his agility and exceptional performances, was celebrated for his contributions to Greek football both domestically and internationally.
Kostas Chardavellas, December 17
Kostas Chardavellas, one of the most influential and well-respected Greek journalists, died at the age of 79.
He had battled cancer, a struggle he documented in a book. He often said that he developed cancer due to the stress of television ratings. “Don’t hang your life on ratings. I got cancer from the anxiety over ratings,” the popular Greek journalist stated.
