Gregory Papayoti passed away peacefully in Houston, Texas on Saturday, the 13th of April 2019. He was born in the apartment above his father’s grocery store in Istanbul, Turkey and was extremely proud of the fact that he came from the city that literally bridges the East and West.
He graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering from Robert College in Istanbul and an MS in Civil Engineering from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Greg also served as a Captain in the Turkish Army on the Russian border. He spent the majority of his career with Raymond International building a worldwide footprint of successful construction projects that spanned stadium foundations, harbors, power plants, embassies and even a bridge across his beloved Bosphorus straights in Istanbul.
Greg spoke Greek, Turkish, English, Italian, Arabic and French. He was a voracious reader, had deep knowledge of political and religious history and was as he liked to say “A student until the day I die”. He travelled for work and pleasure extensively taking the time to truly understand every place and people he visited from London to Bologna, Buenos Aires, Fiji, Machu Picchu, Melbourne, Milan, Mount Athos, Rio, Bagdad, Beirut, Cairo, Lagos, Teheran and many more.
He is preceded in death by his parents Vasilis and Callirrhoe Papayoti, brother Takis Papayoti and sister Sophia Boulmetis. He is survived by his wife of 63 years Aliki Papuci Papayoti, son Lee Papayoti, daughter and son-in-law Clara and Tres Fuge, grandson and wife Evan Fuge and Annika Naidoo, and beloved nephews and nieces Tassos Boulmetis, Basil and Ann Papayoti, Vasilis Boulmetis, Chris and Jilla Papayoti and Maria Papayoti.
Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening on Wednesday, the 17th of April, in the Jasek chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston, where the Trisagion prayers are to commence at half-past six o’clock.
The funeral service is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Thursday, the 18th of April, at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 3511 Yoakum Boulevard in Houston, where the Cathedral clergy are to officiate.
At a later time, the family will gather for a private entombment service at Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery in Houston.
In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed toward Texas Children’s Hospital, Office of Philanthropy, Ste. 5214, P.O. Box 300630, Houston, TX 77230-0630.
DONATIONS
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18