Napoleon Patricios

I was born in the village of Laho on the 2nd of July, 1899. My parents, Nikolaos and Maria, already had two sons and two daughters. At that time King George I was on the throne of Greece, Queen Victoria was nearing the end of her long reign in Britain, and McKinley was President of the United States. When not in school I spent time helping my father. At the age of nineteen I joined the Royal Greek Navy in which I served five years.

Two events during my navy years were memorable. In 1919 I was a member of the honor guard in the funeral of King Alexander and then in 1922 I was on the ship “Ierax” patrolling the Turkish coast to stop shipment of arms

from reaching Kamal Ataturk’s forces. On completion of my military service in 1924, I immigrated to South Africa to join my brother Spyros at S. T. Stores in Bez Valley, Johannesburg. Like other young immigrants

I learnt English very quickly and was soon able to start my own General Store that was followed by various other business ventures. Later I opened the first self-service Spar in Cyrildene, Johannesburg, the first such store in South Africa, and then became involved in property development as an estate agent. In 1935 I returned to Ithaca on the cruise liner “Julius Caesar” with other bachelors in the now famous trip organized by the Ithaquesian Society. In Exogi I found my life partner, Athena Dracopoulos. She was beautiful, young, and had grown up abroad. We married on 25 August, 1935 and had the traditional three-day wedding “panygiri” then returned to Johannesburg after a honeymoon in Italy and France. We had three children - two sons, Nick named after my father, Peter named after my father-in-law, and a daughter Marianna named after both my mother and my mother-in-law, Maria and Anna. I have always felt an obligation to community service. This led me, first, to join the Ithaquesian Philanthropic Society in 1925 and in the years 1928-29 and again in 1934- 35 I was fortunate to be able to serve on the Society’s Executive Committee. I was honored to be elected Chairman of the Society

during the years 1938-41 and then again for the years 1948-52. In 1940 I led the efforts to raise funds for the war effort in Greece and in 1953 to provide additional resources to rebuild the church of Taxiarchis in Plathreithias

and other buildings after the extensive damage caused all over Ithaca by the devastating earthquake of that year. I also involved myself in other community efforts such as serving as a member of the Elleniki Kinotita Johannesburg, as a member of the Emboriki Enosis, as a member, Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Saheti Foundation, as a member, Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Greek Sporting Club, and as a member of the Hellenic Federation. I was very proud to have contributed to making the Greek Sporting Club a vibrant place where members of the community wanted to be. In recognition of my contributions to the Greek community in South Africa, I was privileged to be elected Honorary Life Vice Chairman of the Elleniki Kinotita Johannesburg and Honorary Life Chairman of the Ithaquesian Philanthropic Society. I feel honored that my contributions to the

Hellenic community have been recognized in the form of a medal awarded me by the government of Greece, a special award by the Patriarchy of Alexandria as well as the Decoration of St. Mark given to me in 1962 by Patriarch Christoforos II himself. I was surprised to receive a life membership in the Red Cross as I regarded it only my duty to give regularly to that organization. In July 1999 I was glad to be able to enjoy in good health and spirits with my wife and all my children, grandchildren, great-grandchild, relatives, and friends a splendid 100th

birthday at a celebratory lunch held at the Hilton Hotel, Sandton. Sadly, after a wonderful sixty-seven years of happily married life. My life companion Athena passed away in January 2003.

Eulogy Extract

NAPOLEON PATRICIOS A MAN OF THREE CENTURIES

One hundred years after Napoleon Bonaparte became Dictator of France - Napoleon Patricios was born on the Island of Ithaca in Greece on the 2nd July 1899.

This was the official date on his passport, but in those days the sons were registered

two years later in order that the young men may be slightly older on conscription

into the Army. Like his French namesake together with his beloved wife Thea Athena, Theo Napoleon built an Empire whose family has spread from Ithaca in Greece to the

Southern tip of Africa and on to Florida America, Sydney Australia, Switzerland, the Spanish Costa del Sol and the UK. The Empire consists of their children Nick and

Emily, Peter and Helen, and Marianna and Costa and all the grandchildren and their

partners and great-grand children.

Theo Napoleon we salute you in attaining and living through THREE CENTURIES

the 19th, the 20th and the 21st Century.

To live to the age of 107 years is a feat that very few individuals achieve. The presence

of his mind was phenomenal and he remembered and discussed the good old days and current affairs with equal clarity and understanding.

To Theo Napoleon an extract from

“Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson which epitomizes the man of three Centuries:

“It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

That which we are, we are

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate,

But strong in will,

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield

Migration to the Diaspora has separated families, couples and relatives, among them

was my mother Katerini. Her brothers and sisters all migrated to South Africa, while in

1923, she came to join her husband Ioanni here in Melbourne.

It took the 1967 war between Israel and Egypt for members of our families to reunite. After

twelve months in Greece, mainly on Ithaca with my wife Melita’s family, we were

returning to Australia on the “Patris” with our two daughters Katherine and Georgia.

Because the Suez Canal had been blocked to shipping by Egypt as a result of the Arab-

Israeli War, the “Patris” changed course, dropping in at Cape Town. We notified Uncle

Naploeon, who with his sister Chrisoula boarded the “Blue Train” in Johannesburg and met us when we docked at Cape Town.

Melita’s sister Eleni, her husband George and son Nicko were also waiting. George had an enormous black Chevrolet Impala into which we all piled and drove off to see the Groot Schuur hospital where the first heart transplant took place but we found our way barred by a parade. A motorcycle cop questioned George as to his destination. At the mention of hospital, on went the siren, through the parade we went and we were escorted to the entrance. With a wave the cop roared off, to perform some other brave deed. We often have a good chuckle over that.

What can I say about Uncle Napoleon that has not already been said. Whilst on holiday

in Ithaca, which he loved passionately, he and his wife Athina opened the family house

in Lacho and welcomed the many visitors for afternoon tea. On balmy evenings they

would hold court in the Frikes eateries. In 1977, I stayed with my Aunt and Uncle in their Cyrildene house in Johannesburg for ten days. Uncle Napoleon showed me around the country driving his brown Audi, very confidently. One Sunday, he invited all my cousins and their children to the house to meet me. What a marathon, there were multiples of tens. Uncle Napoleon told me one of his fondest memories of his sister Katerini. When he

was a boy, he’d been allotted a piece of land to hoe by his father. My mother, some years

his elder, saw him struggling and told him to stop. She not only worked her land, but his as well. Tears welled in his eyes as he related the story because after my mother migrated to Australia they never saw each other again.

We saw Uncle Napoleon and Aunt Athina other times in South Africa or Ithaca, taking

up where we had left off, catching up with family news. His interests were many and his contributions to the Greek community in South Africa legendary.

The last time we saw him was in 2003. Aunt Athina had passed away earlier that year. We talked about many things, two of which pay tribute to his extraordinary memory. He named the restaurant we’d lunched at in 1968 and what we’d all had to eat. I then asked him if he remembered my paternal Nono. “Yes” was his reply and then named all the brothers and their history as if an enter button had been pressed in his memory computer.

My venerable uncle was born on the 2 July 1899 in Lacho, Ithaca. He passed away

on 1 August 2006 and his remarkable life spanned over three centuries.

Uncle Napoleon, Rest in Peace.

Jim Vlassopoulos

I was born in the village of Laho on the 2nd of July, 1899. My parents, Nikolaos and Maria, already had two sons and two daughters. At that time King George I was on the throne of Greece, Queen Victoria was nearing the end

of her long reign in Britain, and McKinley was President of the United States. When not in school I spent time helping my father. At the age of nineteen I joined the Royal Greek Navy in which I served five years. Two events

during my navy years were memorable. In 1919 I was a member of the honor guard in the funeral of King Alexander and then in 1922 I was on the ship “Ierax” patrolling the Turkish coast to stop shipment of arms

from reaching Kamal Ataturk’s forces. On completion of my military service in 1924, I immigrated to South Africa to join my brother Spyros at S. T. Stores in Bez Valley, Johannesburg. Like other young immigrants

I learnt English very quickly and was soon able to start my own General Store that was followed by various other business ventures. Later I opened the first self-service Spar in Cyrildene, Johannesburg, the first such store in South Africa, and then became involved in property development as an estate agent.

In 1935 I returned to Ithaca on the cruise liner “Julius Caesar” with other bachelors in the now famous trip organized by the Ithaquesian Society. In Exogi I found my life partner, Athena Dracopoulos. She was beautiful,

young, and had grown up abroad. We married on 25 August, 1935 and had the traditional three-day wedding “panygiri” then returned to Johannesburg after a honeymoon in Italy and France. We had three children - two sons, Nick named after my father, Peter named after my father-in-law, and a daughter Marianna named after both my mother and my mother-in-law, Maria and Anna. I have always felt an obligation to community service. This led me, first, to join the Ithaquesian Philanthropic Society in 1925 and in the years 1928-29 and again in

1934- 35 I was fortunate to be able to serve on the Society’s Executive Committee. I was honored to be elected Chairman of the Society during the years 1938-41 and then again for the years 1948-52. In 1940 I led the efforts to raise funds for the war effort in Greece and in 1953 to provide additional resources to rebuild the church of Taxiarchis in Plathreithias and other buildings after the extensive damage caused all over Ithaca by the devastating earthquake of that year. I also involved myself in other community efforts such as serving as a member of the Elleniki Kinotita Johannesburg, as a member of the Emboriki Enosis, as a member, Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Saheti Foundation, as a member, Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Greek Sporting Club, and as a member of the Hellenic Federation. I was very proud to have contributed to making the Greek Sporting Club a vibrant place where members of the community wanted to be. In recognition of my contributions to the Greek community in South Africa, I was privileged to be elected Honorary Life Vice Chairman of the Elleniki Kinotita Johannesburg and Honorary Life Chairman of the Ithaquesian Philanthropic Society. I feel honored that my contributions to the Hellenic community have been recognized in the form of a medal awarded me by the government of Greece, a special award by the Patriarchy of Alexandria as well as the

Decoration of St. Mark given to me in 1962 by Patriarch Christoforos II himself. I was surprised to receive a life membership in the Red Cross as I regarded it only my duty to give regularly to that organization.

In July 1999 I was glad to be able to enjoy in good health and spirits with my wife and all my children, grandchildren, great-grandchild, relatives, and friends a splendid 100th birthday at a celebratory lunch held at the

Hilton Hotel, Sandton. Sadly, after a wonderful sixty-seven years of happily married life my life companion Athena passed away in January 2003.

During the three centuries I have lived through I have been fortunate to have experienced tremendous changes

and developments in the world such as the beginning and end of Communism, amazing inventions such as television (how would I do without ERT!), seen Haley’s Comet twice, and viewed man landing on the moon. Since arriving in South Africa exactly eighty years ago I have witnessed the country’s dramatic social and political transformation. I continue to take a great interest in world affairs and welcome interviews with journalists who are interested to know about my life. On my 105th birthday the Consul General of Greece in Johannesburg, Mrs. Aleiferi, did me the honor of visiting me.

People have always asked me what my secret to long life is. There is no real secret - it is maintaining “Pan Metron Ariston” (Always Everything in Balance), having love in the heart, and choosing the right genes!

28 October 2004

Eulogy Extract

NAPOLEON PATRICIOS

A MAN OF THREE CENTURIES

One hundred years after Napoleon Bonaparte became Dictator of France - Napoleon Patricios was born on the Island of Ithaca in Greece on the 2nd July 1899.

This was the official date on his passport, but in those days the sons were registered

two years later in order that the young men may be slightly older on conscription

into the Army.

Like his French namesake together with his beloved wife Thea Athena, Theo Napoleon built an Empire whose family has spread from Ithaca in Greece to the Southern tip of Africa and on to Florida America, Sydney Australia, Switzerland, the Spanish Costa del Sol and the UK. The Empire consists of their children Nick and Emily, Peter and Helen, and Marianna and Costa and all the grandchildren and their partners and great-grand children.

Theo Napoleon we salute you in attaining and living through THREE CENTURIES the 19th, the 20th and the 21st Century.

To live to the age of 107 years is a feat that very few individuals achieve. The presence

of his mind was phenomenal and he remembered and discussed the good old days and current affairs with equal clarity and understanding.

To Theo Napoleon an extract from “Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson which epitomizes the man of three Centuries:

“It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

That which we are, we are

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate,

But strong in will,

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield

Migration to the Diaspora has separated families, couples and relatives, among them

was my mother Katerini. Her brothers and sisters all migrated to South Africa, while in

1923, she came to join her husband Ioanni here in Melbourne.

It took the 1967 war between Israel and Egypt for members of our families to reunite. After

twelve months in Greece, mainly on Ithaca with my wife Melita’s family, we were

returning to Australia on the “Patris” with our two daughters Katherine and Georgia.

Because the Suez Canal had been blocked to shipping by Egypt as a result of the Arab-

Israeli War, the “Patris” changed course, dropping in at Cape Town. We notified Uncle

Naploeon, who with his sister Chrisoula boarded the “Blue Train” in Johannesburg and met us when we docked at Cape Town. . We notified Uncle Naploeon, who with his sister Chrisoula boarded the “Blue Train” in Johannesburg and met us when we docked at Cape Town.

Melita’s sister Eleni, her husband George and son Nicko were also waiting. George had an enormous black Chevrolet Impala into which we all piled and drove off to see the Groot Schuur hospital where the first heart transplant took place but we found our way barred by a parade. A motorcycle cop questioned George as to his destination. At the mention of hospital, on went the siren, through the parade we went and we were escorted to the entrance. With a wave the cop roared off, to perform some other brave deed. We often have a good chuckle over that.

What can I say about Uncle Napoleon that has not already been said. Whilst on holiday

in Ithaca, which he loved passionately, he and his wife Athina opened the family house

in Lacho and welcomed the many visitors for afternoon tea. On balmy evenings they

would hold court in the Frikes eateries.

In 1977, I stayed with my Aunt and Uncle in their Cyrildene house in Johannesburg

for ten days. Uncle Napoleon showed me around the country driving his brown Audi,

very confidently. One Sunday, he invited all my cousins and their children to the house

to meet me. What a marathon, there were multiples of tens.

Uncle Napoleon told me one of his fondest memories of his sister Katerini. When he

was a boy, he’d been allotted a piece of land to hoe by his father. My mother, some years

his elder, saw him struggling and told him to stop. She not only worked her land, but

his as well. Tears welled in his eyes as he related the story because after my mother

migrated to Australia they never saw each other again.

We saw Uncle Napoleon and Aunt Athina other times in South Africa or Ithaca, taking

up where we had left off, catching up with family news. His interests were many and

his contributions to the Greek community in South Africa legendary.

The last time we saw him was in 2003. Aunt Athina had passed away earlier that

year. We talked about many things, two of which pay tribute to his extraordinary

memory. He named the restaurant we’d lunched at in 1968 and what we’d all had

to eat. I then asked him if he remembered my paternal Nono. “Yes” was his reply and

then named all the brothers and their history as if an enter button had been pressed in his

memory computer.

My venerable uncle was born on the 2 July 1899 in Lacho, Ithaca. He passed away

on 1 August 2006 and his remarkable life spanned over three centuries.

Uncle Napoleon, Rest in Peace.

Jim Vlassopoulos

I was born in the village of Laho on the 2nd of July, 1899. My parents, Nikolaos and Maria, already had two sons and two daughters. At that time King George 1 was on the throne of Greece, Queen Victoria was nearing the end of her long reign in Britain, and Mckinley was President of the United States. When not in school I spent time helping my father. At the age of nineteen I joined the Royal Greek Navy in which I served five years. Two events during my navy years were memorable. In 1919 I was a member of the honor guard in the funeral of King Alexander and then in 1922 I was on the ship “Icrax” patolling the Turkish coast to stop shipment of arms from reaching Kamal Ataturk’s forces. On completion of my military service in 1924, I immigrated to Soutj Africa to join my brother Spyros at S.T.Stores in Bez Valley, Johannesburg. Like other young immigrants I learnt English very quickly and was soon able to start my own General Store that was followed by various other business ventures. Later I opened the first self-service Spar in Cyrildene, Johannesburg, the first such store in Sth Africa, and then became involved in property development as an estate agent. In 1935 I returned to Ithaca on the cruise liner “Julius Caesar” with other bachelors in the now famous trip organised by the Ithaquesian Society. In Exoghi I found my life partner, Athena Dracopoulos. She was beautiful, young, and had grown up abroad. We married on 25 August, 1935 and had the traditional three-day wedding “panygiri” then returned to Johannesburg after a honeymoon in Italy and France. We had three children – two sons, Nick named after my father, Peter named after my father-in-law, and a daughter Marianna named after both my mother and mother-in-law, Maria and Anna.

I have always felt an obligation to community service. This led me, first, to join the Ithaquesian Philanthropic Society in 1925 and in years 1928-29 and again in 1934-35 I was fortunate to be able to serve on the Society’s Executive Committee. I was honoured to be elected Chairman of the Society during the years 1938-41 and then again for the years 1948-52. In 1940 I led the efforts to raise funds for the war effort in Greece and in 1953 to provide additional resources to rebuild the church of Taxiarchis in Plathreithias and other buildings after the extensive damage caused all over Ithaca by the devastating earthquake of that year. I also involved myself in other community efforts such as serving as a member of the Elliniki Kinotita Johannesburg, as a member of the Emboriki Enosis, as member, Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Saheti Foundation, as a member, Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Greek Sporting Club, and as a member of the Hellenic Foundation. I was very proud to have contributed to making the Greek Club a vibrant place where members of the community wanted to be. In recognition of my contributions to the Greek community in South Africa, I was priviledged to be elected Honorary Life Vice Chairman of the Elliniki Kinotita Johannesburg and Honorary Life Chairman of the Ithaquesian Philanthropic society.

I feel honored that my contributions to the Hellenic community have been recognized

in the form of a medal awarded me by the government of Greece, a special award by

the Patriarchy of Alexandria as well as the Decoration of St. Mark given to me in 1962

by Patriarch Christoforos II himself. I was surprised to receive a life membership in the

Red Cross as I regarded it only my duty to give regularly to that organization.

In July 1999 I was glad to be able to enjoy in good health and spirits with my wife and

all my children, grandchildren, great-grandchild, relatives, and friends a splendid 100th

birthday at a celebratory lunch held at the Hilton Hotel, Sandton. Sadly, after a wonderful

sixty-seven years of happily married life my life companion Athena passed away in January 2003. During the three centuries I have lived through I have been fortunate to have experienced tremendous changes and developments in the world such as the beginning and end of Communism, amazing inventions such as television (how would I do without ERT!), seen Haley’s Comet twice, and viewed man landing on the moon. Since arriving in South Africa exactly eighty years ago I have witnessed the country’s dramatic social and political transformation. I continue to take a great interest in world affairs and welcome interviews with journalists who are interested to know about my life.

On my 105th birthday the Consul General of Greece in Johannesburg, Mrs. Aleiferi, did

me the honor of visiting me. People have always asked me what my secret to long life is. There is no real secret - it is maintaining “Pan Metron Ariston” (Always

Everything in Balance), having love in the heart, and choosing the right genes!

28 October 2004

Eulogy Extract

NAPOLEON PATRICIOS A MAN OF THREE CENTURIES

One hundred years after Napoleon Bonaparte became Dictator of France -Napoleon Patricios was born on the Island of Ithaca in Greece on the 2nd July 1899. This was the official date on his passport, but in those days the sons were registered two years later in order that the young men may be slightly older on conscription

into the Army. Like his French namesake together with his beloved wife Thea Athena, Theo

Napoleon built an Empire whose family has spread from Ithaca in Greece to the Southern tip of Africa and on to Florida America, Sydney Australia, Switzerland, the Spanish Costa del Sol and the UK. The Empire consists of their children Nick and Emily, Peter and Helen, and Marianna and Costa and all the grandchildren and their partners and great-grand children.

Theo Napoleon we salute you in attaining and living through THREE CENTURIES the 19th, the 20th and the 21st Century. To live to the age of 107 years is a feat that very few individuals achieve. The presence of his mind was phenomenal and he remembered and discussed the good old days and current affairs with equal clarity and understanding.

To Theo Napoleon an extract from “Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson which epitomizes the man of three Centuries:

“It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

That which we are, we are

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate,

But strong in will,

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield

Gregory Couvaras

7 August 2006

Ithaquesian Philanthropic Society of S. Africa.

Migration to the Diaspora has separated families, couples and relatives, among them

was my mother Katerini. Her brothers and sisters all migrated to South Africa, while in

1923, she came to join her husband Ioanni here in Melbourne. It took the 1967 war between Israel and Egypt for members of our families to reunite. After twelve months in Greece, mainly on Ithaca with my wife Melita’s family, we were returning to Australia on the “Patris” with our two daughters Katherine and Georgia. Because the Suez Canal had been blocked to shipping by Egypt as a result of the Arab- Israeli War, the “Patris” changed course, dropping in at Cape Town. We notified Uncle Naploeon, who with his sister Chrisoula boarded the “Blue Train” in Johannesburg and met us when we docked at Cape Town. Melita’s sister Eleni, her husband George and son Nicko were also waiting. George had an enormous black Chevrolet Impala into which we all piled and drove off to see the Groot Schuur hospital where the first heart transplant took place but we found our way barred by a parade. A motorcycle cop questioned George as to his destination. At the mention of hospital, on went the siren, through the parade we went and we were escorted to the entrance. With a wave the cop roared off, to perform some other brave deed. We often have a good chuckle over that.

What can I say about Uncle Napoleon that has not already been said. Whilst on holiday

in Ithaca, which he loved passionately, he and his wife Athina opened the family house

in Lacho and welcomed the many visitors for afternoon tea. On balmy evenings they

would hold court in the Frikes eateries.

In 1977, I stayed with my Aunt and Uncle in their Cyrildene house in Johannesburg

for ten days. Uncle Napoleon showed me around the country driving his brown Audi,

very confidently. One Sunday, he invited all my cousins and their children to the house

to meet me. What a marathon, there were multiples of tens.

Uncle Napoleon told me one of his fondest memories of his sister Katerini. When he

was a boy, he’d been allotted a piece of land to hoe by his father. My mother, some years his elder, saw him struggling and told him to stop. She not only worked her land, but his as well. Tears welled in his eyes as he related the story because after my mother

migrated to Australia they never saw each

other again.

We saw Uncle Napoleon and Aunt Athina other times in South Africa or Ithaca, taking up where we had left off, catching up with family news. His interests were many and his contributions to the Greek community in South Africa legendary.

The last time we saw him was in 2003. Aunt Athina had passed away earlier that year. We talked about many things, two of which pay tribute to his extraordinary memory. He named the restaurant we’d lunched at in 1968 and what we’d all had to eat. I then asked him if he remembered my paternal Nono. “Yes” was his reply and then named all the brothers and their history as if an enter button had been pressed in his memory computer.

My venerable uncle was born on the 2 July 1899 in Lacho, Ithaca. He passed away

on 1 August 2006 and his remarkable life spanned over three centuries.

Uncle Napoleon, Rest in Peace.

Jim Vlassopoulos

Eulogy Extract

NAPOLEON PATRICIOS

A MAN OF THREE CENTURIES

One hundred years after Napoleon

Bonaparte became Dictator of France -

Napoleon Patricios was born on the Island

of Ithaca in Greece on the 2nd July 1899.

This was the official date on his passport,

but in those days the sons were registered

two years later in order that the young

men may be slightly older on conscription

into the Army.

Like his French namesake together with

his beloved wife Thea Athena, Theo

Napoleon built an Empire whose family

has spread from Ithaca in Greece to the

Southern tip of Africa and on to Florida

America, Sydney Australia, Switzerland,

the Spanish Costa del Sol and the UK. The

Empire consists of their children Nick and

Emily, Peter and Helen, and Marianna and

Costa and all the grandchildren and their

partners and great-grand children.

Theo Napoleon we salute you in attaining

and living through THREE CENTURIES

the 19th, the 20th and the 21st Century.

To live to the age of 107 years is a feat that

very few individuals achieve. The presence

of his mind was phenomenal and he

remembered and discussed the good old

days and current affairs with equal clarity

and understanding.

To Theo Napoleon an extract from

“Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson which

epitomizes the man of three Centuries:

“It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

That which we are, we are

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate,

But strong in will,

To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield

Migration to the Diaspora has separated

families, couples and relatives, among them

was my mother Katerini. Her brothers and

sisters all migrated to South Africa, while in

1923, she came to join her husband Ioanni

here in Melbourne.

It took the 1967 war between Israel and Egypt

for members of our families to reunite. After

twelve months in Greece, mainly on Ithaca

with my wife Melita’s family, we were

returning to Australia on the “Patris” with

our two daughters Katherine and Georgia.

Because the Suez Canal had been blocked

to shipping by Egypt as a result of the Arab-

Israeli War, the “Patris” changed course,

dropping in at Cape Town. We notified Uncle

Naploeon, who with his sister Chrisoula

boarded the “Blue Train” in Johannesburg

and met us when we docked at Cape Town.

Melita’s sister Eleni, her husband George

and son Nicko were also waiting. George

had an enormous black Chevrolet Impala

into which we all piled and drove off to see

the Groot Schuur hospital where the first

heart transplant took place but we found our

way barred by a parade. A motorcycle cop

questioned George as to his destination. At

the mention of hospital, on went the siren,

through the parade we went and we were

escorted to the entrance. With a wave the

cop roared off, to perform some other brave

deed. We often have a good chuckle over

that.

What can I say about Uncle Napoleon that

has not already been said. Whilst on holiday

in Ithaca, which he loved passionately, he

and his wife Athina opened the family house

in Lacho and welcomed the many visitors

for afternoon tea. On balmy evenings they

would hold court in the Frikes eateries.

In 1977, I stayed with my Aunt and Uncle

in their Cyrildene house in Johannesburg

for ten days. Uncle Napoleon showed me

around the country driving his brown Audi,

very confidently. One Sunday, he invited all

my cousins and their children to the house

to meet me. What a marathon, there were

multiples of tens.

Uncle Napoleon told me one of his fondest

memories of his sister Katerini. When he

was a boy, he’d been allotted a piece of land

to hoe by his father. My mother, some years

his elder, saw him struggling and told him

to stop. She not only worked her land, but

his as well. Tears welled in his eyes as he

related the story because after my mother

migrated to Australia they never saw each

other again.

We saw Uncle Napoleon and Aunt Athina

other times in South Africa or Ithaca, taking

up where we had left off, catching up with

family news. His interests were many and

his contributions to the Greek community in

South Africa legendary.

The last time we saw him was in 2003.

Aunt Athina had passed away earlier that

year. We talked about many things, two

of which pay tribute to his extraordinary

memory. He named the restaurant we’d

lunched at in 1968 and what we’d all had

to eat. I then asked him if he remembered

my paternal Nono. “Yes” was his reply and

then named all the brothers and their history

as if an enter button had been pressed in his

memory computer.

My venerable uncle was born on the 2 July

1899 in Lacho, Ithaca. He passed away

on 1 August 2006 and his remarkable life

spanned over three centuries.

Uncle Napoleon, Rest in Peace.

Jim Vlassopoulos

ΝΑΠΟΛΕΩΝ ΠΑΤΡΙΚΙΟΣ Απεβίωσε στο Τζοχάνεσμπουργκ Ν.Αφρικής στις 1 Αυγούστου 2006 ο σεβαστός Ναπολέων Πατρίκιος. Ο αείμνηστος γεννήθηκε στο Λαχώ Ιθάκης στις 2 Ιουλίου 1899, υιός των Νικολάου και Μαρίας. Σε ηλικία 18 ετών υπηρέτησε για 5 έτη στο Βασιλικό Ελληνικό Ναυτικό. Το 1924 μετανάστευσε στη Ν. Αφρική. Το 1935 επέστρεψε στην Ιθάκη όπου και παντρεύτηκε την Αθηνά Δρακοπούλου εξ Εξωγής. Επέστρεψαν στο Τζοχάνεσμπουργκ, απέκτησαν τρία τέκνα τον Νίκο, Παναγιώτη και την Μαριάννα. Αξιώθηκε και επέστρεψε πολλές φορές στην αγαπημένη του Ιθάκη που παρ’ όλη τη μακροχρόνια διαμονή του στο εξωτερικό ποτέ δεν ξεχνούσε και πάντοτε επέστρεφε στο πατρικό του σπίτι. Το 2003 έχασε την συζυγό του. Έζησε σε βαθύ γήρας της ηλικίας των 107 ετών. Ας είναι Αιωνία του η μνήμη.

Στα τέκνα, οικογενειές τους και λοιπούς συγγενείς, θερμά συλλυπητήρια. ιοχάννεσμπουργκ Νότιας Αφρικής 6 Αυγούστου 2006 ΟΜΩΝΥΜΟ ΑΦΙΕΡΩΜΑ ΜΝΗΜΗΣ

ΝΑΠΟΛΕΩΝΤΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΚΙΟΥ

Ν - Νέα μετάβαση ψυχής στο πατρικό της σπίτι

Α - Αφου μετεκπαιδεύτηκε σε τούτον τον πλανήτη

Π - Πόνεσε, είδε, αγάπησε, κι εκπλήρωσε θητεία

Ο - Ο Ναπολέων στα κοινά σ’αυτή την Πολιτεία

Λ - Λυτρώθηκε απ του κακού κόσμου μας τη διχόνοια

Ε - Επέστρεψε εις την πηγή ζωής μας την αιώνια

Ο - Ολοι με δάκρυα κι’ανθούς τ’άψυχο σώμα ραίνουν

Ν - Νηοπομπή γιά τις ψυχές στά ύψη που πηγαίνουν

Π - Πατρίκιος Πραγματικά που ευγενής σημαίνει

Α - Αθάνατος στη μνήμη μας, και ζωντανός Θα μένει

Τ - Τώρα που απεδήμησε προς το ουράνιο δώμα

Ρ - Ρόδα καλύπτουν στοργικά το κουρασμένο σώμα

Ι - Ικέτες προς τον Χριστό δημιουργό πατέρα

Κ - Κάλλιστη Θέση στην ψυχή να δώσει στον αιθέρα

Ι - Ιεραπόστολου καλού έχουμε όλοι μνεία

Ο - Ότι υπήρξε άνθρωπος χρηστός στην κοινωνία

Σ - Σύψυχα όλοι ευχόμαστε: Η μνήμη του ΑΙΩΝΙΑ

Απόστολος Παριανός

ΝΑΠΟΛΕΩΝ ΠΑΤΡΙΚΙΟΣ

Απεβίωσε στο Τζοχάνεσμπουργκ Ν. Αφρικής στις 1 Αυγούστου 2006 ο σεβαστός

Ναπολέων Πατρίκιος.

Ο αείμνηστος γεννήθηκε στο Λαχώ Ιθάκης στις 2 Ιουλίου 1899, υιός των Νικολάου και

Μαρίας. Σε ηλικία 18 ετών υπηρέτησε για 5 έτη στο Βασιλικό Ελληνικό Ναυτικό.

Το 1924 μετανάστευσε στη Ν. Αφρική. Το 1935 επέστρεψε στην Ιθάκη όπου και

παντρεύτηκε την Αθηνά Δρακοπούλου εξ Εξωγής. Επέστρεψαν στο Τζοχάνεσμπουργκ,

απέκτησαν τρία τέκνα τον Νίκο, Παναγιώτη και την Μαριάννα. Αξιώθηκε και επέστρεψε

πολλές φορές στην αγαπημένη του Ιθάκη που παρ’ όλη τη μακροχρόνια διαμονή

του στο εξωτερικό ποτέ δεν ξεχνούσε και πάντοτε επέστρεφε στο πατρικό του σπίτι.

Το 2003 έχασε την συζυγό του. Έζησε σε βαθύ γήρας της ηλικίας των 107 ετών.

Ας είναι Αιωνία του η μνήμη.

Στα τέκνα, οικογενειές τους και λοιπούς συγγενείς, θερμά συλλυπητήρια.

Γιοχάννεσμπουργκ Νότιας Αφρικής 6 Αυγούστου 2006

ΟΜΩΝΥΜΟ ΑΦΙΕΡΩΜΑ ΜΝΗΜΗΣ

ΝΑΠΟΛΕΩΝΤΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΚΙΟΥ

Ν - Νέα μετάβαση ψυχής στο πατρικό της σπίτι

Α - Αφου μετεκπαιδεύτηκε σε τούτον τον πλανήτη

Π - Πόνεσε, είδε, αγάπησε, κι εκπλήρωσε θητεία

Ο - Ο Ναπολέων στα κοινά σ’αυτή την Πολιτεία

Λ - Λυτρώθηκε απ του κακού κόσμου μας τη διχόνοια

Ε - Επέστρεψε εις την πηγή ζωής μας την αιώνια

Ο - Ολοι με δάκρυα κι’ανθούς τ’άψυχο σώμα ραίνουν

Ν - Νηοπομπή γιά τις ψυχές στά ύψη που πηγαίνουν

Π - Πατρίκιος Πραγματικά που ευγενής σημαίνει

Α - Αθάνατος στη μνήμη μας, και ζωντανός Θα μένει

Τ - Τώρα που απεδήμησε προς το ουράνιο δώμα

Ρ - Ρόδα καλύπτουν στοργικά το κουρασμένο σώμα

Ι - Ικέτες προς τον Χριστό δημιουργό πατέρα

Κ - Κάλλιστη Θέση στην ψυχή να δώσει στον αιθέρα

Ι - Ιεραπόστολου καλού έχουμε όλοι μνεία

Ο - Ότι υπήρξε άνθρωπος χρηστός στην κοινωνία

Σ - Σύψυχα όλοι ευχόμαστε: Η μνήμη του ΑΙΩΝΙΑ

Απόστολος Παριανός

ΝΑΠΟΛΕΩΝ ΠΑΤΡΙΚΙΟΣ

Απεβίωσε στο Τζοχάνεσμπουργκ Ν. Αφρικής στις 1 Αυγούστου 2006 ο σεβαστός Ναπολέων Πατρίκιος. Ο αείμνηστος γεννήθηκε στο Λαχώ Ιθάκης στις 2 Ιουλίου 1899, υιός των Νικολάου και Μαρίας. Σε ηλικία 18 ετών υπηρέτησε για 5 έτη στο Βασιλικό Ελληνικό Ναυτικό.

Το 1924 μετανάστευσε στη Ν. Αφρική. Το 1935 επέστρεψε στην Ιθάκη όπου και

παντρεύτηκε την Αθηνά Δρακοπούλου εξ Εξωγής. Επέστρεψαν στο Τζοχάνεσμπουργκ,

απέκτησαν τρία τέκνα τον Νίκο, Παναγιώτη και την Μαριάννα. Αξιώθηκε και επέστρεψε

πολλές φορές στην αγαπημένη του Ιθάκη που παρ’ όλη τη μακροχρόνια διαμονή

του στο εξωτερικό ποτέ δεν ξεχνούσε και πάντοτε επέστρεφε στο πατρικό του σπίτι.

Το 2003 έχασε την συζυγό του. Έζησε σε βαθύ γήρας της ηλικίας των 107 ετών.

Ας είναι Αιωνία του η μνήμη.

Στα τέκνα, οικογενειές τους και λοιπούς συγγενείς, θερμά συλλυπητήρια.

Γιοχάννεσμπουργκ Νότιας Αφρικής 6 Αυγούστου 2006

ΟΜΩΝΥΜΟ ΑΦΙΕΡΩΜΑ ΜΝΗΜΗΣ

ΝΑΠΟΛΕΩΝΤΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΚΙΟΥ

Ν - Νέα μετάβαση ψυχής στο πατρικό της σπίτι

Α - Αφου μετεκπαιδεύτηκε σε τούτον τον πλανήτη

Π - Πόνεσε, είδε, αγάπησε, κι εκπλήρωσε θητεία

Ο - Ο Ναπολέων στα κοινά σ’αυτή την Πολιτεία

Λ - Λυτρώθηκε απ του κακού κόσμου μας τη διχόνοια

Ε - Επέστρεψε εις την πηγή ζωής μας την αιώνια

Ο - Ολοι με δάκρυα κι’ανθούς τ’άψυχο σώμα ραίνουν

Ν - Νηοπομπή γιά τις ψυχές στά ύψη που πηγαίνουν

Π - Πατρίκιος Πραγματικά που ευγενής σημαίνει

Α - Αθάνατος στη μνήμη μας, και ζωντανός Θα μένει

Τ - Τώρα που απεδήμησε προς το ουράνιο δώμα

Ρ - Ρόδα καλύπτουν στοργικά το κουρασμένο σώμα

Ι - Ικέτες προς τον Χριστό δημιουργό πατέρα

Κ - Κάλλιστη Θέση στην ψυχή να δώσει στον αιθέρα

Ι - Ιεραπόστολου καλού έχουμε όλοι μνεία

Ο - Ότι υπήρξε άνθρωπος χρηστός στην κοινωνία

Σ - Σύψυχα όλοι ευχόμαστε: Η μνήμη του ΑΙΩΝΙΑ

Απόστολος Παριανός

ΝΑΠΟΛΕΩΝ ΠΑΤΡΙΚΙΟΣ

Απεβίωσε στο Τζοχάνεσμπουργκ Ν.

Αφρικής στις 1 Αυγούστου 2006 ο σεβαστός

Ναπολέων Πατρίκιος.

Ο αείμνηστος γεννήθηκε στο Λαχώ Ιθάκης

στις 2 Ιουλίου 1899, υιός των Νικολάου και

Μαρίας. Σε ηλικία 18 ετών υπηρέτησε για 5

έτη στο Βασιλικό Ελληνικό Ναυτικό.

Το 1924 μετανάστευσε στη Ν. Αφρική.

Το 1935 επέστρεψε στην Ιθάκη όπου και

παντρεύτηκε την Αθηνά Δρακοπούλου εξ

Εξωγής. Επέστρεψαν στο Τζοχάνεσμπουργκ,

απέκτησαν τρία τέκνα τον Νίκο, Παναγιώτη

και την Μαριάννα. Αξιώθηκε και επέστρεψε

πολλές φορές στην αγαπημένη του Ιθάκη

που παρ’ όλη τη μακροχρόνια διαμονή

του στο εξωτερικό ποτέ δεν ξεχνούσε και

πάντοτε επέστρεφε στο πατρικό του σπίτι.

Το 2003 έχασε την συζυγό του. Έζησε σε

βαθύ γήρας της ηλικίας των 107 ετών.

Ας είναι Αιωνία του η μνήμη.

Στα τέκνα, οικογενειές τους και λοιπούς

συγγενείς, θερμά συλλυπητήρια.

Γιοχάννεσμπουργκ Νότιας Αφρικής

6 Αυγούστου 2006

ΟΜΩΝΥΜΟ ΑΦΙΕΡΩΜΑ ΜΝΗΜΗΣ

ΝΑΠΟΛΕΩΝΤΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΚΙΟΥ

Ν - Νέα μετάβαση ψυχής στο πατρικό της σπίτι

Α - Αφου μετεκπαιδεύτηκε σε τούτον τον πλανήτη

Π - Πόνεσε, είδε, αγάπησε, κι εκπλήρωσε θητεία

Ο - Ο Ναπολέων στα κοινά σ’αυτή την Πολιτεία

Λ - Λυτρώθηκε απ του κακού κόσμου μας τη διχόνοια

Ε - Επέστρεψε εις την πηγή ζωής μας την αιώνια

Ο - Ολοι με δάκρυα κι’ανθούς τ’άψυχο σώμα ραίνουν

Ν - Νηοπομπή γιά τις ψυχές στά ύψη που πηγαίνουν

Π - Πατρίκιος Πραγματικά που ευγενής σημαίνει

Α - Αθάνατος στη μνήμη μας, και ζωντανός Θα μένει

Τ - Τώρα που απεδήμησε προς το ουράνιο δώμα

Ρ - Ρόδα καλύπτουν στοργικά το κουρασμένο σώμα

Ι - Ικέτες προς τον Χριστό δημιουργό πατέρα

Κ - Κάλλιστη Θέση στην ψυχή να δώσει στον αιθέρα

Ι - Ιεραπόστολου καλού έχουμε όλοι μνεία

Ο - Ότι υπήρξε άνθρωπος χρηστός στην κοινωνία

Σ - Σύψυχα όλοι ευχόμαστε: Η μνήμη του ΑΙΩΝΙΑ

Απόστολος Παριανός