Christos Kyriakopoulos

On the morning of July 30th, we lost our precious father and Papou. Christos was predeceased by his wife, Penelope; parents, John and Maria; and sisters, Hariklia and Anastasia. He is survived by daughters, Maria (Lloyd) and Anna (Kam), and his beloved grandchildren Alexander, Christianne, Christopher, and Penelope. He is also mourned by relatives in Canada, Greece, and Australia.

Christos Kyriakopoulos was born in Gargaliani, Greece and spent his early life with his extended family and many friends there. The years after WWII were idyllic and he built a thriving contracting business before deciding to join a wave of Greek migration to Canada in the mid-1960s. Along with numerous friends who had made their way to Vancouver, he decided to settle here. He was married and raised his family in the city that he loved.

He met with some obstacles, enduring a spinal cord injury that changed the trajectory of his life. He met these with courage and determination - with his devoted wife of 52 years by his side. In addition to his optimism and remarkable resilience, he was known for his unimpeachable integrity, sense of justice, and boundless generosity. He took pleasure in discussing politics and remained engaged in debating ideas until his last days. He often quoted a favourite Greek proverb that said “Δεν το ’χω πως πεθαίνω, αλλά όσο ζω, τόσο μαθαίνω” [I don't think I am dying, but as long as I live, I continue to learn.], which was one of the keys to his longevity.

His greatest joy was the time spent with his grandchildren, sharing Greek histories and imparting wisdom about family and ethics. He held on for one final day for Alexander to return from a trip to Greece and share tales of his travels - seeing his home there one final time through his grandson’s eyes and camera lens.

Widowed in 2017, he lived independently in his home for most of the past eight years, surprising us during this second act with his previously concealed culinary talents. He died peacefully in his bed, as he had wished to. We are grateful to the exceptional team of health care professionals who helped us to manage his care throughout the decades and to facilitate his wishes to remain at home.

Services will be held at 10:00 am on Thursday, August 14th at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 4500 Arbutus Street.

Following the funeral service will be a committal service at 12:00 PM at Mountain View Cemetery - City of Vancouver, 5455 Fraser St, Vancouver, BC

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the VGH Foundation.

All men's souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine.

SOCRATES