Farewell to the pillar of a Serres family, Alekos G. Karamanlis
Alekos G. Karamanlis – a true Macedonian, a father, husband, brother and the pillar of a Serres family – died this week, mourned by all those who knew him. The son of Georgios and Fotini, father of Giorgos and Greece’s prime minister, Costas Karamanlis, never stood in the shadow of his older brother, the late statesman Constantine Karamanlis, the man who shaped Greece’s place in Europe during the second half of the 20th century. Instead, he was always by his older brother’s side. He and his wife Aliki brought up a lovely family, supported the traditions of Serres and raised their sons to be good Greek citizens with a European orientation. During the ups and downs of political life, he kept his family united. He never boasted when his brother was at the peak of his career, but was simply happy with his brother’s satisfaction. He gave his children a good education and when the time came, he was proud to see his son Costas lead the New Democracy party and then the country as prime minister. His greatest joy was to see his grandchildren, named after himself and his wife. Alekos Karamanlis had a full life, if not always an easy one, but he never sought publicity and made his contribution to his family’s history with great discretion.
