In an atmosphere of deep grief and emotion, and in the presence of a large crowd — citizens, friends, relatives, and political representatives — the funeral service of beloved singer Giorgos Mazonakis took place on Monday afternoon (14/09) at the Holy Church of the Holy Trinity in Nikaia. It is recalled that Giorgos Mazonakis passed away last Wednesday (09/09) from cardiac arrest at just 54 years of age, while the circumstances of his death are being investigated by the relevant authorities. His burial took place at the Third Cemetery of Athens.
From Sunday afternoon (13/09), many fans had already arrived to say their goodbyes to Giorgos Mazonakis, carrying flowers and gathering beneath the sounds of his songs, as his body had been laid in public vigil from 19:00 until noon on Monday (14/09). Outside the church, and despite the heat, hundreds of fans of the beloved singer — many of whom had traveled from other parts of Greece — bid farewell to their idol as his songs played through car speakers.
Giorgos Mazonakis: Crowds gather for the funeral service of the beloved artist
Family members, friends, and colleagues of Giorgos Mazonakis gathered at the Holy Church of the Holy Trinity in Nikaia for his funeral service. Among those present from the entertainment world were: Natasa Theodoridou, Panos Kiamos, Nikos Vertis, NiVO, Nikos Oikonomopoulos, STAN, Rallia Christidou, Thanos Petrelis, Stathis Angelopoulos, Paola, Christos Mastoras, Panos Mouzorakis, Elena Paparizou, Petros Imvrios, Ilias Vrettos, and Kostas Martakis.
Political figures who attended
Also present at the Holy Church of the Holy Trinity were Takis Zacharatos, Giorgos Kapoutzidis, Marianna Latsi, Betty Maggira, Ilias Psinakis, Thanasis Viskadourakis, and Markos Seferlis.
From the political world, those in attendance included Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance Dimitris Markopoulos, Mayor of Athens Charis Doukas, PASOK MP Nadia Giannakopoulos, Deputy Minister of Interior Vasilis Spanakis, MP for Piraeus B’ Nina Kasimati, Zoe Konstantopoulou, and Deputy Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament Giannis Plakiotakis.
Following the conclusion of the funeral service, the body of G. Mazonakis was taken to the Third Cemetery of Athens, where he was buried in a private family ceremony. The family of Giorgos Mazonakis also requested that, in lieu of wreaths, donations be made to the organization Humanity Greece.
What Petros Imvrios and Thanos Petrelis said
Upon arriving at the Holy Church of the Holy Trinity in Nikaia, several artists made statements to the press. In particular, Petros Imvrios noted that “the music family has been left orphaned, but above all, the world has been left without a truly good person,” while Thanos Petrelis said the following: “So many people, so many who may not have known him personally, but who came to know him over all these years through his songs. An immense loss — an immense artist. I consider him one of the greatest artists to ever grace Greek discography. A man left us who was far too young and far too early. He still had so many years ahead of him, and that alone is a tremendous shame. My condolences to his family and to those closest to him. We never got the chance to collaborate — we were at the same venues, the same circuits. He’d finish his set, I’d start mine. He came to see me many times, and I went to his shows too. We all knew Giorgos Mazonakis as a great artist with an extraordinary career.”
The eulogy by the Mayor of Nikaia
The Mayor of Nikaia–Agios Ioannis Rentis, Konstantinos Maragkakis, delivered his own heartfelt farewell to Giorgos Mazonakis in a moving eulogy. He began by saying: “At the ‘music penthouse,’ he took his first steps. It was the beginning of a journey that no one knew where it would lead. Through his songs, he spoke of love, loneliness, and pain.” “His path brought him to the greatest stages in the world,” the Mayor of Nikaia continued. “Giorgos Mazonakis left his mark not only through his art — he was a person who helped others, who stood beside those in need,” he added. “We are saying goodbye to a man who left his own imprint on people’s hearts. That is perhaps the greatest legacy for an artist — to live on through his songs. Today, words seem few. Giorgos, we thank you for your songs,” he said, visibly moved.
The eulogy by the Metropolitan of Nikaia
Equally moving was the eulogy delivered by Metropolitan of Nikaia, Alexios: “My dear brothers and sisters, I know that the grief weighing upon the family of our brother Giorgos Mazonakis is heavy — as it is for all of us who loved him and found joy in his songs. We are grateful for his conduct, for his love for Nikaia and this place, where as a young child he played in the church courtyard, for his precious contributions to those in need, and for his words, always full of love for everyone.
The presence of thousands of people here, yesterday and today, at this sacred funeral service, is proof of the love they received from him in return. And a saying from an ancient historian comes to mind: ‘The true grave of the dead is the hearts of the living.’ He gave love, and he receives love in return — both in life and as he departs from it.
Reflecting on his life and his words, I recall a thought that speaks to his story: ‘Death is an invitation. It tells us not to waste time. It tells us to say to one another, right now, that we love each other.’
One of Giorgos’s songs takes on a new resonance today — one we all know: ‘I’m taking a stroll back to the old days, to Nikaia, to Kokkinia, I’ll drink wine and get drunk, I’ll stay up all night in Piraeus. I want to go back to the old days, I want my old neighborhood…’
And he has returned, and he is among us — so young and so full of creativity. The ancient epic of Digenis Akritas comes to life here and now: ‘And they went and wrestled on the marble threshing floors, and where Digenis strikes, the blood runs in rivers, and where Charos strikes, the blood floods the ditches.’
My dear brothers and sisters, we believe and we proclaim that we await the Resurrection and the life of the age to come. With this faith, we bid farewell to our beloved Giorgos, whom we pray is already in the embrace of God. May his soul find rest, may his family and friends find comfort, and we declare — with human grief but steadfast hope — that ‘The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; as it pleased the Lord, so it has been done; blessed be the name of the Lord forever.'”
