Alexander Ioannides

1941-2010

Loved by family and friends in the US and Cyprus, Alexander C. Ioannides, 69, of Centennial, CO, died of cancer on Sunday, July 25, 2010. Born on January 20, 1941, in Nicosia, Cyprus, Alex was a proud Greek Cypriot and naturalized US citizen who loved to tell stories, laugh, and joke, as well as to philosophize; to work hard at hobbies and projects; to help his friends and be helped by them.

For 10 years spanning the 1960s and 1970s, he lived in London where he attended Imperial College. Later he moved back to Cyprus where his daughter, Annabelle, was born. He worked as a civil engineer. He served in the Cyprus Army Corps of Engineers and was on active duty during the Turkish invasion in 1974.

In 1975, with his first wife and toddler, Annabelle, Alex moved to Denver, where he worked for the Colorado Department of Transportation as a Highway Engineer for 23 years. Additionally, former students praise him as a great Greek School teacher and principal at Assumption Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Denver, where Alex was a member, a role he filled for many years in the late 1980s and 1990s.

In 1982, Alex (and Annabelle) married the former Kathryn King. Their 28-years of marriage were never dull and they loved each other dearly. His daughter, Annabelle, was the light and joy of Alex’s life, and Kathy is so grateful of the gift of this wonderful woman in her life. For most of his life, Alex’s family also included furry feline friends, too.

Retiring early, Alex devoted many hours to his hobbies: philately and gardening. An avid philatelist, he was an APS accredited judge, active in Collectors Club of Denver, The Royal Philatelic Society of England, ROMPEX, Cyprus Study Circle, and a member of Rocky Mountain Philatelic Library and several other philatelic organizations related to postal stationery and civil censorship. He and Christopher J. Podger of England wrote two editions of their book, Cyprus Postal Stationery. He won numerous national and international awards for his exhibits and book.

Family and friends of all ages enjoyed Alex’s garden, which was abundant and included a gazebo and other structures he designed and built. He is a member and past president of Littleton Garden Club. Alex and Kathy owe a debt of gratitude to neighbors and friends who spent countless hours keeping Alex’s garden in shape during his illness and his travels.

Alex and Kathy traveled often to Cyprus, where they enjoyed their many friends, most of whom Alex was raised with or knew from his student days in London. They also traveled to philatelic exhibitions in the US and abroad. After treatment during the fall of 2009 at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center (Sky Ridge location), they enjoyed a lengthy trip to Cyprus, London, and Edinburgh, with several Cyprus friends joining them. We are forever grateful to Drs. Jotte and Mateskon of RMCC, to the RMCC staff and social workers, and to Dr. Aldona Staar Kumosa who cared for us through the years.

He treasured his friendships and was a master at nurturing them. His stories and jokes, his outlook on life, and his kindness, all drew people to him. His memory is treasured by those who survive him: his wife, Kathy; his daughter and the light of his life, Annabelle Ioannides of Seattle; his brother and wife Nicolaos and Faith Ioannides of Aurora, and their children Dino Ioannides and family of Aurora, Joanna Ioannides of Denver, and Alexia Alexopoulos and family of Houston, Texas; the extended Greek family; his brother-in-law Donald E. King of Austin; and special friends here and in Cyprus who he loved and counted as family. His parents, Constantinos and Anastasia, predeceased him, as did his parents-in-law, Edgar and Dorothy King.

So many would agree with his 7-year-old friend Cade, who said, “I hope Mr. Alex gets well - we’ve been ‘buddies’ for a long time.” His family is thankful that Alex’s last days of suffering were brief and that he died peacefully with many of us surrounding him on a Sunday night of extraordinary beauty and peacefulness. Our father, husband, brother, uncle, and “buddy” Alex leaves a legacy of great joy and love.

May his memory be eternal.

Memorial contributions may be made in Alexander's Name to:

Tennyson Center for Children

(Colorado Christian Home)

www.tennysoncenter.org

2950 Tennyson Street

Denver, CO 80212

303 433-2541

Toll Free 877 224-8223

or

Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers

http://www.rockymountaincancercenters.com

7951 E. Maplewood Avenue, Suite 300

Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Phone: 1-888-259-7622 (Toll Free)