George Panagiotis Koletsis

November 3, 1930 – June 17, 2017

George Panagiotis Koletsis was a great man, a loving husband, and a wonderful father. He was incredibly humble and generous, kind to everyone that he met, and always put others before himself. Above all, George firmly believed in God. Even at 86 years old, he kneeled every night and every morning to pray, asking for humility and thanking God for the good life that he led, and blessings he received. George was a perfect example of how to live without complaint, right up to his last breath. He stressed education, hard work, and self-reliance, and was constantly coming up with ideas about new businesses and ventures, even at 86. Although George enjoyed the fruits of his labor, it was only after he was certain that everyone else was cared for. George also beat the odds by surviving pancreatic cancer at 85. Although a selfless man that never judged others, he was a fighter because he loved life.

George comes from a family of Greek immigrants originally from Ioannina. The son of Panagiotis and Anastasia Koletsis. George was born in Bucharest, Romania, not far from the Port of Constanta where his parents owned a successful delicatessen that served merchant ships. In the 1950s, however, because of Russian communist oppression, he and his family were forced to surrender all of their belongings. They fled from Romania with nothing, and began anew as refugees in Greece. In 1955, George immigrated to America, where he arrived in New York City. Given this new opportunity, he worked as a dental technician, or driver. He accepted any job that he could find to support his family and make a better life, all the while paying for his brother Basil Koletsis to finish medical school. In 1976, George met Niki, his one and only true love, and they never left each other's side. She often called him "agape mou", which means "my love" in Greek. They lived in NY for 30 years, finally settling in Florida for warmer weather. They enjoyed going on Caribbean cruises, sitting together in their back yard, watching Greek soap operas, traveling to Las Vegas, and especially visiting with their children & grandchildren. They were truly happy together.

George will be deeply missed, but forever loved. We are so happy and grateful, though, that he is beginning his next journey. If we have the courage and faith to live our lives as he did, we know that we will see him again one day. George is survived by his loving wife Niki and his four children: John, Peter, Stella and George (who enjoyed calling him "Pops"), and his beloved grandchildren William, Nikole, Kristina, Yianni, Kole, Johnny and Lily. His children pray that they can live up to his example of an honorable, loving man with the utmost integrity.

John 11:25 KJV: "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live"

Viewing: RJ O'Shea Funeral Home; (631) 728-3131; Friday, June 23rd from 2pm-4pm and from 7pm-9pm

Church & Burial Service: Greek Orthodox Church, 111 St Andrews Rd, Southampton, NY 11968; (631) 283-6169; Saturday, June 24, beginning at 12:00pm