George Panagopoulos

George loved and cared for his family deeply. He was a loving and supportive son, brother, uncle, great-uncle, godfather, and friend. He is predeceased by his mother, Alexandra, and survived by his father, Demetrios, sister, Cecilia (Saki), niece, Francine (Kyle), nephew Billy, great-nephew and godson, Matteo Dimitri, and many friends and relatives in Vancouver, Greece, and around the world.

George was born and raised in Vancouver. Even as a boy, he distinguished himself as an intellectual and received early academic recognition. During high school at Eric Hamber he made many lifelong friends and enjoyed competing in Reach for the Top, winning the BC Championship. After graduating in 1980, he attended UBC and earned both a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Bachelor of Education in Social Studies. His first teaching contract was at David Thompson Secondary where he spent his career before retiring in June of 2021.

George touched thousands of students' hearts and minds - inspiring them with his vast knowledge, love of travel, passion for history, and unquenchable curiosity. Through his students, his positive influence and contributions will continue for generations. George was loved and respected by his colleagues, with whom he also enjoyed spending time with outside of work.

George was kind and genuinely cared about others. He had integrity, was logical and practical, deeply ethical and a good citizen who valued fairness and acceptance.

The son of immigrants, George maintained strong roots in his Greek heritage by studying the history and language and by visiting his parents' town of Nafpaktos and village of Managouli many times. On several occasions he proudly shared his second home with his friends. George had many friends in the Greek community of Vancouver. He was well-loved and respected and was a longtime member of Pharos.

When he wasn't travelling, George enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, watching movies, going for coffee, dining out, playing trivia, golf and taking long walks. Above all, he loved life and lived his to the fullest. He had a rich social life and experienced as much as possible in his 60 years. George filled us with his generous spirit, humour, and companionship. We were so lucky to have him for this brief time and he will be sadly missed but never forgotten by all who knew him.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, May 15, 2023 at 10:30 am at St. George's Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 4500 Arbutus Street, Vancouver. Father Nikolaos Sideras officiating.

Burial to follow at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Burnaby.

Please join the family for a memorial luncheon in the church hall following the committal service.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the George Panagopoulos Memorial Scholarship which will serve as a living testament to his remarkable legacy. This annual scholarship has been established for a deserving graduating David Thompson Secondary student.

https://vsb.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/1869/196/false/true?fundDestination=S-David%20Thompson

To donate please click on the link above, select "in memory of" from the dropdown menu, and add George's name to the text box "Name of the honoree".

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MountPleasantFuneral.com for the Panagopoulos family.